Dust in the Wind
by WeirdyMcWeirderton
Summary: Sequel to Conflict of Interest. Things are starting to heat up with the Apocalypse looming over the Winchesters. Will Gracilynn be able to help her dad and uncle stop it or will she loose the only family she has left? Picture by jessfairy88.
1. Dude, I'm A Winchester

Here is the first chapter! I hope ya'll enjoy it as much as the other two stories I have written! I just want to thank everyone for following me and my stories and for taking the time to review. I write because I love to write but getting such great reviews makes me want to write more so thank you so much! Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Supernatural or any of the characters. However, I do own Gracilynn.

"You done with your homework?" Dean asks Gracilynn . Gracilynn looks up from her book bag she is packing up.

"Uh, yeah," she replies. They stopped here in Hopedale, Ohio. There was a hunt in the next town over but it was so small it didn't have a motel.

"Good, I need you to run down to the store at the end of the street and grab some coffee for us," Dean says, digging in his wallet and pulling out a ten. Gracilynn raises her eyebrows and looks over at her dad, eyeing the ten dollar bill he's holding out to her.

"You're gonna let me walk there by myself?" Gracilynn asks. Her dad had been off since Ellen and Jo three weeks ago but still… He _never_ let her walk anywhere by herself. Dean gives her a look.

"Will you just go. Sam and I have to get this research done," Dean says, holding the money out closer to her.

"All right, whatever," Gracilynn says, grabbing the money from her dad and shoving it in her pocket. She grabs her phone and the key to the room and put them in her pocket as well. Just as she's about to walk out the open door, her dad's voice stops her.

"Be careful and call if you need anything," he says, not looking up from the computer. Gracilynn rolls her eyes but smiles to herself.

"Dude, I'm a Winchester," Gracilynn says as if that's all the explanation she'll need. She walks out the door, shutting it behind her.

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," Dean mutters, eyeing the door.

Gracilynn walks down the road, looking at the buildings on either side of her. There is a playground on her left. She watches the kids play on the playground and notice the woods surrounding the back of it. She rounds the corner and enter the small store, heading straight for the coffee machine towards the back. She fills up two cups of coffee and a hot chocolate for herself, grabbing creamer and sugar for her uncle.

"Hey," Gracilynn says to the cashier, an older woman, setting the three cups on the counter, "Just the two coffees and hot chocolate."

The cashier smiles at her and plugs in the numbers, giving her the total. Gracilynn hands her the money and waits for the change.

"Would you like a carrier for that sweety?" the older woman asks, handing Gracilynn her change.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks," Gracilynn says, pocketing the change. The cashier grabs a carrier and places the drinks in the carrier and Gracilynn grabs it off the counter. She says goodbye and exits the small building.

Gracilynn walks down the sidewalk back towards the hotel. She glances over at the playground, noticing everyone is gone. _Hm…that's kinda strange_ she thinks, but then something catches her ear. She stops and stares towards the woods, trying to see if she can spot anything. She could've sworn she heard laughter. She looks around and doesn't see anyone else. Gracilynn bites her bottom lip, debating whether she should check it out or not. She decides to check it out, thinking maybe a kid hid in the woods and her parents weren't around. As she nears the woods, she hears someone singing, a girl.

"Hello?" Gracilynn calls in to the woods, looking around trying to find the little girl. "Are you okay? Where are your parents?"

Gracilynn hesitantly walks in to the woods looking around, but she doesn't see anything. She stops and listens. The singing has stopped and she begins to get a back feeling in the pit of her stomach. _Maybe I should give dad a call_. Gracilynn is just about to reach for her phone when there is a rustle in the leaves to her right. Her head shoots up just as something lunges at her. The carrier and drinks fall to the ground. Just before she loses consciousness Gracilynn thinks to herself, _Dad's gonna flip shit._

Dean looks at his watch for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. It had been an hour since Gracilynn had gone to get coffee. At first he put her tardiness off to a long line but now… He was getting really worried. Sam looked up at him, knowing he was getting worried if the constant watch checking was anything to go by. And, truthfully, he was getting worried himself. Dean sighs and grabs his phone, deciding he was going to call Gracilynn. And when she answered the phone he was going to lay into her for making him worry. When Gracilynn doesn't pick up and the call goes to voicemail, however, Dean starts to feel his emotions edge towards panic mode.

"She didn't answer?" Sam asks, having been watching his brother. Dean shakes his head and calls her phone again with the same result. He sighs in annoyance and sends her a text before getting out of his chair.

"I swear, if this is all because she ran into a cute guy I'm gonna kill her myself," Dean growls, grabbing his jacket. Sam gets up, grabbing his own jacket and following his brother to the door.

"Hold on," Sam calls to his brother. Dean stops and turns around to see Sam writing a hasty note and sticking it on the table. Sam turns to follow Dean again, noticing his brother watching him. "In case she comes back while we're out."

"She better hope she does because if I see her…" Dean grumbles, climbing into the drivers' seat of the Impala. Sam sighs, knowing that if it is because of a cute guy, his niece was in for a real shouting match.

"You find anything out?" Sam asks, meeting his brother back at the Impala. Sam had been talking to a group of teenagers to see if they had seen Gracilynn around at all while Dean went in to talk to the store cashier.

"The cashier said Gracilynn was here 'bout an hour ago. She picked up the coffee and stuff and left. Didn't see where she had gone though," Dean says, running a hand down his face.

"Talked to some teenagers," Sam says, nodding to the group about ten yards away, "Said they say her walking back towards the motel."

"Okay, so where the hell is she?!" Dean asks, yelling. Sam looks at his brother, seeing the panic begin to settle in. Dean looks around them, seeing if anything is around that would attract his daughter.

"The teenagers said they thought they saw her go over by the playground," Sam says. Dean's eyes dart towards the empty playground.

"She's going to be sixteen years old," Dean says, "Why would she go there?"

"I don't know," Sam answers, following his already moving brother.

Dean and Sam cross the street and begin looking around the playground, each trying to figure out why she would come over here. Dean stands in the middle of the playground and turns in a circle, looking for anything. His gaze settles on the woods behind them and he begins to walk over to them. Sam quickly follows him.

"You think she went in the woods?" Sam asks.

"Those kids said she came over here right?" Dean asks, then, not waiting for an answer, "They ever say what she did afterwards.

"Uh…no. They didn't see her after she came over here," Sam says.

"What if she never left here," Dean says, looking around the edge of the tree line. Sam follows his brothers' lead, looking for any clues as to whether his niece was here or not. Not finding anything, Dean begins branching out into the woods themselves. His eyes fall on a yellow object on the ground and he makes his way over to it.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean says, realizing what it is. Hearing the curse, Sam jogs over to where his brother is standing.

"What?" he asks, looking down on the ground where his brother is staring. Three foam cups and a carrying container are lying in the grass, obviously from being dropped. Dean looks around helplessly, not knowing where to look, running a hand through his hair and down his face. Sam bends down, feeling the cups. "They're still hot."

Dean doesn't hear him, just continues to try to catch a glimpse of something…anything. _God, please no. I just got her back._ Sam looks up and sees his brothers' panic set full in. He stands up and places himself in front of Dean, putting his hands on his shoulders.

"Hey," Sam says, getting Dean's attention, "The cups are still hot. Which means she's was hear maybe fifteen minutes ago."

Dean nods his head and looks past Sam, forcing himself to calm down. He wasn't going to help Gracilynn out by having a panic attack. Seeing his brother gather his emotions again, Sam lets go and turns around to look at the woods around them. _Couldn't they ever catch a break?_

Please review! I am looking forward to hearing what you thought of the first chapter!


	2. I Won't Let It Happen

Here's the next chapter! Hope everyone like it!

Gracilynn slowly wakes up to a pounding headache and…was she lying on the ground? Yes, she was definitely lying on the ground; she could feel the leaves and sticks and rocks banging in to her back. Banging? Wait, was the ground moving? Gracilynn slowly opens her eyes and sees the woods slowly go by her. She hears leaves crunching in front of her and she looks to see a human shaped creature hanging on to her legs and dragging her through the woods. She hits a particularly nasty rock jutting out of the dirt and winces, not quite suppressing a groan. She closes her eyes and tries to fight back the band playing in her head. _Sounds like Metallica. Prolly is Metallica. Wish it was AC/DC._ _Wait, what's going on? Oh, right. Evil bitch is dragging me across the forest._ Gracilynn steers her unfocused thoughts back to the problem at hand and opens her eyes again. The creature, whatever it is, hasn't looked back at her yet; just keeps walking. Gracilynn hears music playing. _Great, now there really is a band playing in my head. _ The music continues and Gracilynn realizes it's her phone. By the time she realizes she should answer it, it's stopped ringing. _Shit. I think I hit my head harder than I thought_. The music begins playing again but before she can grab her phone, the human-like creature stops and drops her feet. Gracilynn suppresses another groan as her feet slam in to the ground. She watches as the creature walks a little ways away seeming to look for something.

_Come on Gracie. Get your ass outta here_. Gracilynn hears a voice in her head that sounds way too much like her dad. Gracilynn glances at the creature one more time and, seeing it busy, rolls to her stomach and jumps to her feet. The world around her begins to spin and she reaches out, grabbing a tree, to steady herself. _Crap. _Gracilynn closes her eyes and steadies herself before opening them back up again. She looks over and sees the creature enter a creek, the water splashing around it. She takes a deep breath and making sure the thing that took her is sidetracked, makes a run the way she came. Well, as much of a run as someone can do with a concussion and bruised and cut up back.

Gracilynn finds herself grabbing a hold of trees to keep her upright as she runs towards, hopefully, the town. She keeps an ear out for the thing to realize she's gone and begin following her. _Think Smalls. Call your dad. Get help._ Gracilynn hears a second voice inside her head; this one sounding too much like her uncle. _God, I really need to see a shrink about this_. Gracilynn grabs a hold of a tree and stops, listening for any noise. When she doesn't hear anything, she pulls out her phone and hits the worn number for her fathers' speed dial. _Please pick up_.

"We should look around. See if we can find a trail," Dean says.

"Dean," Sam says, stopping himself.

"What Sam?" Dean asks irritated.

"Should we really go into this think blind?" Sam asks.

"I'm not gonna leave her out there by herself Sam," Dean says angrily. Sam raises his hands in surrender.

"Hey, I don't like this any more than you do," Sam says, forcing himself to stay calm for his brothers' benefit, "But, we can't help Gracilynn out if we find her and get caught, or hurt. Or even worse. The least we can do if figure out what might've taken her. Be a little more prepared."

"And what if she doesn't have that kind of time Sam?" Dean asks, "Then what? We get there too late?"

Sam sighs, knowing Dean has a point, but also knowing he himself has a point as well. Let's face it, either way they go about this, they're screwed. Sam looks over at his brother and is about to say something when Dean's phone begins to ring. Dean takes it out of his pocket and answers it without looking at the caller ID.

"What?" Dean asks testily.

"_D'd?_"

"Gracie?" Dean asks, looking at Sam, relieved to hear her voice.

"_D'd, s'methin got me_," Gracilynn says quickly, "'_M in the woods n'r the playground in t'wn_."

"Yeah, we know. Sam and I are here. You know what took you?" Dean asks, looking around him.

"_Cr'ture of s'me sort. Looks human, but…_" Gracilynn says.

"But what?" Dean asks, noticing the broken speech.

"_D'n know, not human though_," Gracilynn says.

"How did it get you?"

"_Was walkin back to the mot'l. H'rd a laugh comin fr'm n'r the pl'yground. Thought a kid got left or s'methin. Went to check it out. H'rd this lil girl singin. Went in the woods to find h'r. N'xt thin I know somethin hits me fr'm beh'nd_," Gracilynn replies. Dean hears crunching over the phone.

"You get away from it? Where are you?"

"_Yeah, I… I d'n know. In the w'ds s'mewh're. Ended up n'r a cr'k. Thing went in n' I took off runnin_," Gracilynn answers. There's a thump from the other end of the phone and Dean's eyebrows furrow.

"You alright?" Dean asks, then remembering she said she got hit from behind, "That thing hit you?"

"_Yeah, 'm f'ne d'd_," Gracilynn says, resting on a tree to stop the trees from spinning around her. _God, her head hurt so bad_.

"You don't sound fine," Dean says, "You sentences have been broken the whole time we've been talking."

"_D'd 'm f'ne. I…_" Gracilynn starts but there's a gasp, a thump, and the line goes silent.

"Gracie?" Dean shouts in to the phone, beginning to panic again, "Gracie?!"

Water. She hears water lapping at the ground around her. And… Gracilynn shivers. She's in the water. And it's freezing. Gracilynn slowly opens her eyes, thankful where ever she is, the sun is shining in her eyes because if she thought her head hurt before, it was _killer_ now. _Why was that again? Oh, yeah. The creepy bitch hit her again_. She had thought she was safe but the creature must've realized she was gone and found her when she was on the phone with her dad. She had heard a noise behind her and when she turned around, it was right there in her face. She had let out a surprised gasp and then the thing had hit her in the head once again. That was all that she remembered. _God, dad is gonna be pissed_. Water splashes on her neck. _Oh, yeah. Right. In danger here. Prolly should figure out where I am_. Gracilynn looks around her and sees she in some sort of dirt cave. There is a hole in front of her where the creek is flowing by. _I must be in one of those holes in the creek bed. Whatever those are called. Uncle Sammy would know. I wonder if they ever have a name… Focus Gracie _her dad's voice says. _Right, escape. I need to escape._ Gracilynn lifts her hand to guide herself to the opening but is halted by chains on her wrist. _Yeah, because she was just gonna leave you in an open hole with nothing tying you down. She stupid but not that stupid Gracilynn_ Gracilynn hears her own voice in her head say. There is a loud anguished scream from overhead that makes Gracilynn jump then cower, holding her pounding head.

"What the…" Gracilynn says, looking around. She doesn't see anything, but the screams don't stop. If anything, they intensify and Gracilynn can't help the shudder that flows through her body from the pure pain and fear saturating the screams. _Hurry dad_.

"So Bobby thinks this thing is an Asin," Sam says, hanging up his phone and putting it in his pocket.

"I could've told you that," Dean says matter-of-factly, "The stupid ass took my daughter."

"Not an ass Dean, and As_in_," Sam says, rolling his eyes.

"So, how do we kill the bitch?" Dean asks, opening the trunk and secret compartment.

"Well, the thing is a lot like a Wendigo, so fire should do the trick. It's a female cannibal that lives in the woods. It's Native American lore. The difference is, it only goes after kids and it lures them into the woods by singing. Bobby also said these things usually laugh when they find they're next victim," Sam says.

"Well, thank you Encyclopedia Brown," Dean says, "All you had to say was we had to torch the sucker."

"Like I said Dean, we shouldn't go into this blind," Sam says, ignoring the jab.

"It goes after children Sam. Last I checked we weren't children," Dean says, grabbing the flame throwers and handing one to Sam.

"Yeah it does, but it'll go after adults too if they're around and it's hungry. Besides, we're trying to kill it, pretty sure it'll come after us," Sam says, grabbing the map and following his brother into the woods.

"You said the creek was about two miles East of here?" Dean asks, starting to head East without waiting for his brothers answer.

"Yeah," Sam says, sticking the map into his jacket pocket and taking off after his brother. "Dean."

"What?" Dean says, without turning to look at his brother.

"Bobby said this thing also doesn't usually save his victims," Sam says.

"Which is why we need to hurry," Dean says.

"As much as I hate to think about it, it's been an almost three hours Dean since she's disappeared," Sam says hesitantly, because he was telling the truth. He didn't want to think about it; if anything happened to Gracilynn he didn't know what he would do. Dean stops and turns to look at his brother this time.

"She's not dead Sam," Dean says, looking him square in the face, "She can't be. I won't let it happen. No way in hell is that thing gonna take a bite outta her. We're gonna get there is time."

With that, Dean turns around and begins walking again. Sam takes a deep breath and, feeding off his brother's positive proclamation begins following after him again. _I hope so Dean. I really hope so_.

Please review and let me know what ya'll thought of it!


	3. I'm Fine Dad

Here's the next chapter! It's a little longer than the others…enjoy!

The screams have finally stopped, but the fear in the pit of Gracilynn's stomach hasn't left. She didn't have to see what was happening. She knew whatever had took her cause the screams and she really, _really_ didn't want to hang around and find out how. She just hoped her dad and uncle got here soon because the concussion and the freezing cold water was really slowing down her thinking. Gracilynn yanks on the chains, trying to break them loose, but stops as the noise makes her head throb. Instead, she grabs the part of the chain that's in the water and begins following it down to see what it's connected to. She doesn't have to go far before she finds that it's bolted into a big rock in the wall of the cave. _Can this even be considered a cave? More like a hole. I need to get out of these things_. Gracilynn looks around for anything that can be used to pick the lock on the chain. Her dad had been teaching her how just in case she ever needed to use it. _God, my life is so messed up_. She can't find anything and kicks the side of the cave cursing out loud. _Wait. I have a bobby pin in my pocket. Dammit Gracilynn, this concussion is really messing with you_. Gracilynn begins digging around in her pocket, hoping that the bobby pin didn't fall out or anything. She's in luck and finds it, pulling it out and grinning. There is a sudden scream from close by. She begins to work on the chains around her wrist frantically; hoping whatever it is that took her doesn't find that it wants to have some fun with her next. Unfortunately, the concussion is messing with her vision and she is beginning to find it difficult to focus on the lock. She curses, trying to get the bobby pin back in the hole. Gracilynn freezes suddenly, having heard a noise. She listens intently. There are footsteps coming towards the edge of the creek bed. She feels her heart begin to thump louder as she listens to the footsteps come to a halt. There is a loud splash and Gracilynn holds her breath, waiting for the thing to appear in the opening of the hole. _Don't you dare let this thing take you without a fight Gracie_ her dad's voice appears again. Gracilynn lets go of the breath she is holding and takes a deep breath, getting ready to take this thing down. She flattens herself up against the side of the hole, willing the pounding in her head to subside until she gets rid of this thing, but knowing going through with this, it's only going to get worse. She looks at the opening, seeing a human shaped shadow appear on the opposite wall. Just as the thing peers into the hole, Gracilynn jumps towards it, swinging her fists towards it, fully intent on smashing the chains around her wrists into its face. There is a yelp and the thing jumps back out of her way.

"Gracie! Hey, hey. It's me," the thing says, quickly. Gracilynn stops abruptly, silently cursing because she was right, the movement definitely did not help her head. The thing appears back in the opening of the hole and Gracilynn looks at it.

"Dad," she sighs in relief. Dean checks her over, noticing the dried blood on her face and the chains around her wrists.

"You all right?" Dean asks, worry lacing his words, knowing she's not. He quickly squeezes in to the cave-like hole and takes the bobby pin from her, making quick work of the chains around her wrists. The chains drop in to the water and before Dean can think about what he's doing, he has pulled Gracilynn in for a hug. Gracilynn returns the hug, hearing noise behind them. She pulls away, looking to the entrance, fearing the creature has come back. Her fears quickly diminish though seeing her uncle appear in the opening.

"You okay?" he asks worriedly.

"'M f'ne," Gracilynn says. Dean studies her, grabbing her chin and looking at the cut on her head. Gracilynn shuts her eyes from the movement.

"You hurt anywhere else?" Dean asks, eyeing her.

"'M h'd," Gracilynn says.

"I see that one, anywhere else?" Dean asks.

"Hit me tw'ce," Gracilynn says. Dean swallows down his anger, clamping his jaw shut. He makes his way to her back, noticing the blood matted in her hair. He also notices the blood stains on the back of her shirt and lifts it up seeing the cuts, scrapes and bruising on her back.

"Son of a…" Dean curses. He goes back to her front and looks her in her eyes, seeing the glassy look in them. He holds up two fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"St'p movin' th'm n' I will," Gracilynn says, getting dizzy all over again. Dean shares a look with Sam, whose worried expression probably matches his own.

"Gracie, hey, you know what day it is?" Dean asks.

"Um…Friday?" Gracilynn says.

"Date, Gracie, what's the date?" Dean clarifies, glad she at least knew the day even if it was more of a question.

"2010," Gracilynn says, "Jan'ry."

"Okay," Dean says, "What's your name?"

"Grac'lyn," Gracilynn says, "'M tir'd."

"I know baby, but we need to do this. You can't go to sleep just yet," Dean says softly, noticing Gracilynn shiver. "Come on, let's get you out of the water."

Dean and Sam help Gracilynn exit the hole and climb out of the water onto the bank. Gracilynn squeezes her eyes shut, gripping on to her dad's jacket, the movement making her head spin all over again. Dean watches her carefully.

"Gracie?"

"'M gonna…" Gracilynn begins, cutting herself off when she bends over and pukes on the ground in front of her. Dean rubs her back, knowing how she feels having been there way too many times himself.

"Okay, let's get you in the car," Dean says.

"Where?" Gracilynn asks.

"We killed it five minutes before we found you," Sam says, standing on her other side. _Damn, I didn't even hear him walk over._

"Think you can walk?" Dean asks doubtfully.

"Yeah," Gracilynn whispers, walking unsteadily ahead of her. Dean and Sam share a look, but stay hanging on to her arms so she doesn't fall. She hits a rock and stumbles forwards. She would've face-planted if it wasn't for her dad and uncle's quick reflexes pulling her back up. She closes her eyes from the dizziness, gripping her dad and uncles' sleeves.

"Okay, plan B," Dean says, handing Sam his gun and picking up Gracilynn. Gracilynn rests her head on her dad's shoulder, shutting her eyes. "Hey, no sleeping yet."

"'M tir'd," Gracilynn mumbles.

"I know, but you can't sleep yet. Talk to me. Tell me about…about anything," Dean says, following Sam through the woods.

"Don' wanna," Gracilynn mumbles, not opening her eyes.

"Hey, open your eyes," Dean commands. Gracilynn sighs in frustration, but opens them anyways, watching the woods go by her. She starts to feel sick again so focuses her gaze on her hands, a thought entering her mind. _Great, now dad'll never let me out of his sight_.

Fortunately, Dean and Sam had been able to keep Gracilynn up the whole car ride back to the hotel. Barely, but awake nonetheless. Dean wasn't so sure they'd be able to; like Sam, Gracilynn tended to fall asleep in the car. Dean had carried her into the room and sat her down on one of the chairs by the table while Sam grabbed the first aid kit and set next to him. After that, everything seemed to go by pretty fast. Dean cleaned up Gracilynn's face and stitch her cuts while Sam kept the wet rags and other necessities coming along with salting the doors and windows.

That was a couple hours ago. Now, Dean finds himself sitting in a chair next to Gracilynn's bed, feet propped up on the end of it. It seemed like only yesterday he found himself in the same predicament, only that time Gracilynn was sick with a very high fever and hallucinating. Dean sighs, fighting to stay awake. He had been up since yesterday and the worrying and hiking and hunting was tiring. He looks over at Sam passed out on the opposite bed. He had fallen asleep maybe a half an hour ago, fully intent on staying awake and keeping watch as well but the book he was reading must not have been that interesting. Dean didn't know how he could sleep in the position he was in, his legs askewer one way and his head the other. One arm behind his back, the other flung off the side of the bed, the book barely in his hand. If things weren't so dismal right now, Dean would've taken a picture for entertainment. Dean leans over and gently pulls the book out of his brothers' hand, closing it and setting it on the bedside table. He leans back in his chair and sighs, watching Gracilynn sleep.

He should wake her up, make sure she was still thinking somewhat clearly; ask her some questions. Not wanting to, but knowing he needs to, Dean gets up from his chair and sits down next to his daughter, gently shaking her awake and calling her name. Gracilynn grumbles but doesn't open her eyes. _ I swear she as much of a morning person as…well, me_.

"Gracie, I need you to wake up," Dean says a little louder, but not too loud. He didn't want to wake Sam up. "Open your eyes Gracie."

Gracie finally complies, opening her eyes and looking at her father. She wasn't happy though and Dean swallows a chuckle at the glare she sends him. He was pretty sure she meant it to be a little more deadly but she still seemed out of it.

"You need to answer some question for me," Dean explains, and he's sure if she could, Gracilynn would've rolled her eyes at that. "You know who I am?"

"Yes dad," Gracilynn says.

"You remember what happened?" Dean asks.

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Care to explain?" Dean says after she doesn't continue. Gracilynn sighs.

"Creepy bitch took me n' chain'd me to a cave," Gracilynn says.

"Good enough," Dean says, noticing her speech wasn't as jumbled.

"C'n I go back ta sleep now?" Gracilynn says, already shutting her eyes.

"Yeah," Dean says no sooner than he hears her breath even out. Feeling a little more relieved, Dean grabs his phone and steps outside the room, just outside the door. He needed to call Bobby and let him know how everything turned out. He waited long enough as it was; Bobby was going to chew him out for the delay.

Gracilynn rolls over in her bed, snuggling down in the covers surrounding her. She hears whispering coming from somewhere and she tries to hear what's going on. The words are too quiet and she can't make out what exactly is being said. She does make out that it's her dad and uncle and she finds herself relaxing letting out a soft sigh. The talking stops. Dean and Sam look over at the bed, having heard the sigh. They share a look and Dean gets up making his way over to the bed and taking a seat in front of Gracilynn. Gracilynn hears someone walk over to her bed and take a seat in front of her, too close for the other bed so probably in a chair. She slowly opens her eyes and just makes out her dad's figure sitting in front of her.

"How ya feelin'?" Dean asks.

"Awesome," Gracilynn says.

"I'm sure," Dean says, "Ready to answer some questions?"

Gracilynn sighs in annoyance.

"Your Han Solo, the guy over there is Chewbacca and I was kidnapped by Han," Gracilynn says looking at her dad. Dean looks at her, his face expressionless. Then his mouth breaks in to a smirk.

"Chewbacca huh?"

"Well, he's big enough and hairy enough," Gracilynn says with a smirk.

"You're hysterical," Sam says, rolling his eyes.

"What was that thing that kidnapped me anyways?" Gracilynn asks, "And how long have I been out?"

"'Bout a day and a half. Been waking you up every couple of hours to check on ya," Dean answers. Sam turns around in his seat and looks over at her.

"It was called an Asin. Apparently it's kind of like a Wendigo in that it's a cannibal; but it lures kids into the woods by singing and eats them," Sam answers the other question, "And it usually only ever goes after children. In fact, you're probly the oldest it's gone after in a while."

"Only children?" Gracilynn asks, her face turning slightly white.

"Yeah," Sam says eyeing her worriedly.

"You all right?" Dean asks, noticing the same thing as Sam.

"Um…yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Gracilynn says quickly, pushing the feeling of dread down. If the bitch only ever went after children then the screams…

"You sure?" Dean asks, cutting into her thoughts, watching her carefully.

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine," Gracilynn says defensively. She definitely did _not_ want to talk about what she heard by the creek.

"Okay," Dean says, not very convinced by her answer, "If you feel up to it, we should get outta here…"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Gracilynn says, throwing the covers off and standing up to go take a shower. She gets a dizzy spell from standing up too fast and tips over, grabbing the first thing she can get a hold of to balance herself. Unfortunately, that first thing is her dad's shoulder. Dean grabs a hold of her and helps her get her balance again, eyeing her intently.

"Maybe we should stay another day," Dean says.

"No, I'm fine," Gracilynn says, gently releasing herself from her dad's grasp, "I just stood up too fast."

Gracilynn shoots her dad a grin and makes her way over to her bag, fighting the vertigo when she bends over to grab a change of clothes. She stands up slowly and sends her dad and uncle another grin to reassure them and goes in to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Dean and Sam look at each other, sharing a complete conversation in that one look.

Gracilynn shuts the bathroom door behind her and gets the shower ready. She gets undressed and steps into the shower, leaning her forehead against the wall. She closes her eyes, willing her headache to go away. And the visions. _God, that thing was prolly… It was just a kid. I should've found a way to go help. Instead I coward like a weak wimp and a kid was killed because of it._

Gracilynn stands in the water until it starts getting cold. She sighs and quickly washes up. There's a banging on the door. Gracilynn shuts the water off and climbs out of the shower.

"Gracie! You all right in there?" Dean shouts through the door.

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, swiftly getting dressed. She grabs her clothes and unlocks the door. She opens it up to her dad standing in front of it, eyebrows raised.

"Dude, you've been in there for like an hour," Dean says, stepping backwards so Gracilynn can get by.

"I was really dirty," Gracilynn says off-handedly, shoving her clothes in to her bag.

"So dirty you had to take an hour shower?" Dean asks, following her across the motel room.

"I was dragged through the damn woods, chained up in a dirt cave in muddy water. Then I was out of it for like a day and a half. So, yeah, I'd say that constitutes getting an hour shower," Gracilynn says, not looking at her dad.

"You sure you're all right?" Dean asks.

"I'm fine dad," Gracilynn says a little more snappily than she wanted.

"All right, fine," Dean says, raising his hands in submission. Dean grabs his bag and flings it over his shoulder. "You ready to go then?"

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, calming her voice down. She grabs her own bag and follows her dad and uncle out the door. She couldn't wait to see this town in the rearview mirror.

Please review! The next chapter will probably be up on Thursday.


	4. You Ever Been Scared On A Hunt?

Here's the next chapter!

They hadn't driven more than an hour when the Winchesters hear a phone begin to ring. Gracilynn looks up front at her dad and uncle to see whose it is. Dean and Sam look at each other, knowing it wasn't either one of theirs.

"Check the glove box," Dean says, nodding towards said compartment, "Maybe it's one of dads' old phones."

Sam opens the glove compartment and begins shifting through papers and other odds and ends, tossing m n' m bags onto the floor, giving Dean a sideways look. Dean shrugs it off as Sam pulls out a phone, the ringing getting louder. Dean looks at the caller ID, not recognizing the number at all. He flips the phone open and answers it.

"Hello?" Sam says, listening for a moment, "Uh, no. He…he passed away a few years ago. Uh, no, this is Sam. Oh, hey Martin. What? Yeah, we can help. Where is it? What? Uh, yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure we'll find a way to get inside. Let me talk to Dean first, but I'm sure we can be there as soon as possible. See ya Martin."

"Martin?" Dean asks, looking over at his brother, "As in Albuquerque Martin?"

"Yeah," Sam answers. "He's in Glenwood Springs psychiatric Hospital in Ketchm, Oklahoma. Supposedly, something's killing the patients in there and he's asked us to come check it out."

"And how are we gonna do that?" Dean asks, "It's a mental hospital. It's not like we can just waltz in and do our thing. Even with badges."

"Yeah, about that," Sam says. Dean raises an eyebrow. Gracilynn watches the two of them, knowing by the tone in her uncles' voice, her dad wasn't going to like the idea. "We could always get _in_ to the hospital."

"Like I said Sam…" Dean starts.

"No, not like that Dean," Sam cuts him off, "As in, we go in as patients."

"Oh," Dean says, "Really? I mean, not really keen on the idea of being locked up in a mental ward Sam."

"Dude, you convinced me into being locked up in a damn jail," Sam points out. Dean nods his head, remembering the spirit they ganked a few years back.

"Alright, fine," Dean says. He looks in the rearview mirror, seeing Gracilynn starting to nod off again, "We just gotta make a pit stop before we head out."

Sam glances at Dean, confused. Dean shoots him a look and Sam looks back at his niece. Sam nods his head in understanding. Gracilynn still wasn't up to par and no way were they going to take the chance of leaving her by herself. Too many things could go wrong. They _were_ Winchesters.

"Thanks again for this Bobby," Dean says, at the door.

"Yeah, yeah. You two just make sure you get back here safe," Bobby says to Dean and Sam.

"Sorry about leaving her like this," Dean says in return. Bobby rolls his eyes.

"Her being pissed you two are leaving her here while you go on a hunt? What? You thought she was gonna be dancing for joy?" Bobby says. Dean and Sam snort. "I think I can handle it. It's not the first time I've dealt with a pissed off Dean Winchester, even if it is a female version."

"You boys say good bye yet?" Bobby asks.

"Yeah, she just ignored us," Sam says.

"And glared at us when she had to look our way. I think her Bitch face gives Sammy's a run for his money," Dean says.

"Well, you can thank her daddy for that," Bobby says. Dean scrunches up his face, looking at Bobby. Sam chuckles, earning a look of his own from his brother.

"I do not have a Bitch face," Dean argues.

"No, of course you don't," Bobby says, sharing a knowing look with Sam. Dean glares at the two of them and Bobby smirks. "My point exactly."

Dean grumbles to himself, something about old men and little brothers being a pain in his ass, as he stomps off towards the Impala. Sam chuckles.

"We'll be back soon Bobby," Sam says.

"Keep me in the loop will ya," Bobby says. Sam nods his head and heads over to the car before Dean drives off without him. "Idjits."

Bobby shakes his head as, once the Impala is out of sight, he wheels himself back in to his house. One thing was for sure, dealing with Gracilynn was not going to be fun. Just because he _knew_ how to deal with a pissed of Dean Winchester, didn't mean it was easy.

This was so stupid. First, she got a frickin' kid killed, and now she can't even be there to back up her dad and uncle. All because she decided to get herself kidnapped and knocked on the head. Not even once. But twice! She hated being left behind. She always felt like every time she was, that it would be the time only one of them would come back. Or worse, neither of them would come back. And it's not like she would know if they were in trouble or anything because she was here in damn South Dakota and they were…well, wherever they decided to be at the moment. Gracilynn lets out a frustrated growl and kicks the garbage can, sending it flying, along with everything inside it.

"Dinners ready," Bobby says from behind her, causing her to jump. She hadn't even heard him come up behind her.

"Yeah, okay," Gracilynn mutters, turning to follow him inside.

"Nuh-uh," Bobby says, pointing at the garbage can, "You can clean up your mess first."

"Uncle Bobby," Gracilynn begins to argue.

"Don't you dare sass back to me girl," Bobby says firmly, leaving no more room for argument. "You might be a Winchester but not even your daddy or uncle got away with talking to me like that."

"Sorry," Gracilynn says, already making her way to the overturned garbage can. Bobby purses his lips, but doesn't say anything. He lets out a sigh and wheels himself back inside the house. _Yup, this was gonna be a long few days_.

"Hey Uncle Bobby?" Gracilynn asks, washes the dishes from dinner.

"Yeah," Bobby says from the living room.

"You ever been scared on a hunt?" Gracilynn asks. Bobby pokes his head in to the kitchen, studying her.

"Where's this coming from?" Bobby asks, caught off guard by the sudden question.

"I don't know. I was just curious," Gracilynn says, shrugging her shoulders. Bobby studies her a little longer. Dean had told him what happened during their last hunt. He also said something was bothering her but neither he nor Sam could figure it out. Just said she had been really cranky since she woke up. Bobby sighs and wheels himself in to the kitchen. Well, if she wasn't gonna open up to her dad or uncle then maybe he could find something out for them.

"Yeah, a couple times," Bobby says.

"Has dad or Uncle Sam?" Gracilynn asks, still washing the dishes.

"Yeah," Bobby says, "They won't ever admit it. Especially your daddy, but they have been."

"What'd they do?" Gracilynn asks, drying the last plate and setting it in the strainer.

"Well, we knew there were people in trouble so we forced ourselves to overcome the fear and do what we had to do," Bobby answers carefully.

"Oh," Gracilynn says quietly, absently wiping down the counter.

"What's on your mind kid?" Bobby asks.

"Nothing," Gracilynn says, draining the water.

"You sure?" Bobby asks, pushing a little, but not too much. Gracilynn shrugs.

"You ever _not_ overcome it?" Gracilynn asks so quietly Bobby almost didn't hear it.

"This about the last hunt you were on?" Bobby asks. Gracilynn hesitates, biting her bottom lip. She puts the sponge on the back of the sink and nods her head, turning to face Bobby.

"When I was down in that dirt cave…hole…whatever it was, I heard…" Gracilynn starts. Bobby waits for her to continue, but she doesn't, obviously warring with herself whether she should keep going or not.

"You heard what?" Bobby asks, gently prodding.

"I heard screams. Painful ones. Filled with so much fear, it… I knew it was the thing that took me," Gracilynn explains, not looking at Bobby. Bobby sighs, knowing where this is going.

"Anyone would be scared hearing something like that," Bobby says, "It's all right to be scared sometimes kid."

"I know…it…" Gracilynn begins again, biting her bottom lip. Bobby watches her. Gracilynn begins again, this time saying everything in one breath. "I should've done something. And because I got scared and couldn't suck it up like a big girl I got some kid killed."

Okay, so Bobby definitely didn't see that one coming. Maybe he didn't know where this was going. Bobby really looks at the girl he had come to love like a granddaughter. He was right. She was a female version of her daddy. Even only knowing him for a little over a year, she acted so much like him. Like the stubbornness for one. And the over protectiveness of her family. Or the sense of humor. Or love of classic rock and classic cars. Or the sarcasm. All good things, even if they can be a pain in the ass sometimes. But then, there were the other traits. Like carrying the world on her shoulders. Or always blaming herself for something bad happening. Or keeping her emotions buried inside. Bobby sighs and looks at Gracilynn's face.

"You did what you had to do. If you had gone up there then you would've met the same result," Bobby says.

"But I should've tried," Gracilynn argues.

"You were chained to the wall," Bobby argues back, "You would've had to break out of them first. Then, by the time you got up top, the thing would've been done. You would've died for no reason. And I don't know about you, but no way am I dealing with the after math of that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gracilynn asks.

"It means your daddy and uncle would've lost it. Losing you? It's as bad as them losing each other. They wouldn't've been able to handle that," Bobby explains, "If it makes you feel any better tell yourself you did it to save _them_ not yourself."

"But…" Gracilynn says.

"You did nothing wrong," Bobby says firmly, "I don't wanna hear you talking like this again. You hear?"

"Yeah," Gracilynn says quietly, nodding her head.

"Good," Bobby says, "I have a car that needs to get fixed out back. Maybe you can help with it tomorrow."

"You're gonna let me work on a car by myself?" Gracilynn asks cautiously.

"It's an easy job. And I'm sure you've been working with your dad and you said you learned a whole bunch from those other mechanics," Bobby says, wheeling away.

"Yeah, but…"

"If you need help, all ya gotta do is holler," Bobby says, wheeling back into the living room, "Not like I won't be here."

Gracilynn sighs, a small smile appearing on her face. She still didn't like the fact she was left behind, but after talking to Uncle Bobby, she felt as though some of the weight on her shoulders lifted just a little. And if she was honest with herself, her head _was_ still hurting. Maybe taking a little break is what she needs. But, she'd be damned if they tried excluding her from the next hunt.

Please review and tell me what you think!


	5. Leverage

Sorry for the late update! Was planning on doing a couple this weekend and time just got away from me. Enjoy!

Uncle Bobby was right; it was an easy job. It was just an oil change and tune up; nothing she couldn't handle on her own. By the time she was done with it, she felt a lot more relaxed. That is, until she heard the crash from inside the house. Gracilynn whips her head towards the back door and quickly runs inside the house. She stops abruptly at the archway in the living room. Bobby was lying in a heap on the floor and in front of him was Zachariah, looking very smug.

"Gracilynn," Zach says, "Nice of you to join us."

"Wish I could say the same for you," Gracilynn says, slowly backing away.

"Can't we all get along?" Zach says, "I came here to ask for your help."

"Right, because I'm just gonna jump at that opportunity," Gracilynn says sarcastically.

"You see, we need your dad to say yes," Zach says, walking closer to her. Gracilynn glances at Bobby, seeing he is knocked out. She switches her gaze back to Zach, seeing his is getting closer to her.

"What the hell does that have to do with me?" Gracilynn says, backing out of the living room and making her way down the hall towards the back door.

"Everything. I'm pretty sure you are the answer to getting your dad to do just that," Zach says, grinning cockily.

"Trust me. When my dad has his mindset on something, no one is going to change his mind. Not even me," Gracilynn says, feeling behind her for the door handle. She feels it and turns it. There is a noise at the front of the house and Zach turns to look that way. Gracilynn shoves the door open and makes a dash down the steps and runs across the yard.

Zach turns around as soon as he hears the door shove open, just in time to see Gracilynn's heels disappear and the door slam shut. He smirks and disappears himself, reappearing out in the yard.

Gracilynn turns the corner and rams into someone, falling down on her butt. She looks up and her eyes grow wide, quickly crawling backwards to get away from the person in front of her. The person leers down at her, his eyes turning black. Suddenly, Gracilynn is propelled upwards and she finds herself in the demons grasp. There is a sound behind them and the demon looks over her shoulder to see Zach standing there, clearing annoyed at the intrusion.

"You need to leave," Zach says to the demon.

"I don't think so," the demon says, "You guys aren't the only ones who believes she'll be a good bargaining tool."

"You aren't leaving here with her," Zach says angrily. The demon smirks at him.

"I think we are," the demon says. He shoves Gracilynn behind him and Gracilynn finds herself in the arms of another demon.

"Very well then," Zach says, disappearing.

He reappears next to the demon and puts his hand on his forehead. Unfortunately, the demon realizes what he is doing and tackles him to the ground before he can do anything. A couple more angels appear and they attack the other demons, a full out brawl taking place. The demon who has Gracilynn begins dragging her backwards towards the front of the house. Gracilynn begins fighting against him but he's too strong and she finds herself being half dragged to a black car parked in the driveway. The demon opens the back door and Gracilynn begins throwing kicks and punches. She tries pulling away but nothing is working and her head is beginning to pound all over again. _Guess dad was right about me not being ready yet_. Suddenly, someone appears right next to her and then there is a bright flash from the demon hanging on to her and he drops to the ground. Gracilynn turns to see Cas in front of her.

"Cas, how did you…?" Gracilynn begins to ask but is cut off by Cas touching her forehead and she is no longer in front of Uncle Bobby's house. Gracilynn looks around her and she sees herself in a cabin. Bobby is sitting in his wheelchair, obviously having just been transported here himself. "Uncle Bobby? You all right?"

"I'm fine. You okay?" Bobby says, looking at Gracilynn with concern in his eyes. Gracilynn nods her head, but regrets it quickly, her head pounding and she realizes she is feeling very light headed. She decides to take a seat on the couch and leans back. She rests her head on the back of the couch and shuts her eyes, trying to make the pounding go away.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Cas asks.

"I'm fine Cas," Gracilynn says, "Just a headache."

Cas looks at her confused. He walks over and puts a hand on her head. Suddenly, Gracilynn feels the band in her head disappear and she doesn't feel dizzy anymore. She opens her eyes and looks at Cas.

"Thanks," she says, "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," Cas says, "There's no telling if they will find us again. You need to be at the top of your game."

"Speaking of," Bobby says, "Why were they after you?"

"Leverage," Gracilynn says, "Zach thought he could use me to get dad to say yes. And the demons thought they could use me to get Uncle Sam to say yes."

"Balls," Bobby says, "I was hoping it _wouldn't_ come down to this."

"Unfortunately, both sides are getting desperate," Cas says, "They will try anything. And if they think using Gracilynn as bait will get either one of them to say yes, they will do it. The question is, would it work?"

"No, it wouldn't," Gracilynn says, "They wouldn't say yes."

"You sure about that?" Bobby asks, "Each other is one thing. They're both adults and they came to a mutual agreement. But you? You're still a minor. You're Dean's daughter. Sam's niece. I'm not so sure the answer is as easy as that."

Gracilynn sighs. She was afraid he would say that. She leans back in to the couch and crosses her arms. _Now what are we going to do?_ Gracilynn looks over at Cas who is looking around the cabin. He seems to be studying the building.

"Cas?" she asks. Cas turns and looks her way.

"We should put up wards," Cas says, "So neither side can get in. In case they find us."

"Yeah, but then _you_ won't be able to get in either," Gracilynn points out. Cas sighs, trying to think of something. A thought hits Gracilynn. "We should call Dad and Uncle Sam. If they show up and no one's at Uncle Bobby's and the place looks like a war zone, they'll both flip."

"Zach could hear you," Cas points out.

"We don't have to tell them where we are," Gracilynn says, "Just that we're fine. You could pick them up and bring them here when they're done or something."

Cas nods his head, agreeing with her. Gracilynn was right, Dean would go crazy if they weren't at Bobby's and the place looked destroyed. It was safer if they let him know she was okay. Gracilynn pulls out her phone and makes the phone call.

"Hey dad," Gracilynn says into the phone after going into a bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

"Hey Gracie," Dean says on the other line.

"You guys alright? How'd the hunt go?" Gracilynn asks.

"Uh…well, we killed bitch who was killing the patients," Dean says, then after a pause, "Listen, Gracie, we got a call from an old friend. She needs our help."

"Okay," Gracilynn says, not liking where this is going.

"She's in Massachusetts," Dean says, "And it's silly for us to drive all the way back to South Dakota and then out to Massachusetts."

"Oh, so in other words, you're ditching me again?" Gracilynn asks, annoyed.

"We're not ditching you, we're…" Dean begins but trails off. Gracilynn thinks for a minute. If she tells her dad what happened, he'll come back in a heartbeat. But, she already made a selfish decision and someone got hurt. She didn't want to do the same thing. This chick needed help and what was a few days anyways, right? Gracilynn sighs.

"Go, we'll be here. We'll be fine," Gracilynn says.

"You're sure?" Dean asks, thinking she gave in _way_ too easily.

"Yeah. I don't like being left behind again but its' not like you can really afford to drive all the way out here and then back again," Gracilynn says.

"Okay, we'll be back soon, I promise," Dean says.

"Yeah, yeah," Gracilynn says. They say their goodbyes and Gracilynn hangs up the phone, looking at it for a moment. Dad was going to be pissed and Uncle Bobby and Cas? It _was _her idea to call him in the first place, but if she tells him, someone else is going to get hurt and she couldn't live with herself if that happened. And she couldn't tell Uncle Bobby and Cas she didn't tell him because then they'll just tell him anyways and it would defeat the whole purpose. Gracilynn sighs and puts her phone away, walking back out to the living area.

"He coming?" Uncle Bobby says.

"No, I told him we were fine. I guess an old friend called and needed help and I told him to help her out and then he could come out here," Gracilynn says, "I mean, what's a few days, right?"

"Dean was okay with that?" Bobby asks, confused. "Dean Winchester?"

"Uh…no not really, but a made a valid point," Gracilynn says smoothly. "He doesn't like not coming here but I told him Cas was here so he _very reluctantly_ gave in."

"Oh, okay," Bobby says, still feeling like something was off, but didn't push the issue. "Well, I guess you have some work to do then."

"What do you mean?" Gracilynn asks. Bobby holds out a can of spray paint.

"Devils traps," Bobby says, "Among other symbols."

"Awesome," Gracilynn says making a face, but taking the can anyways. Hunting was really beginning to rub off on her. That lie came _way_ too easy, Gracilynn thinks to herself. Not that it matters either way because when her dad finds out, which he will, it just depends how long she can postpone it, she was in a heap of trouble.

Uh-oh…Gracie's causing trouble again Please review!


	6. We Were Safe

Here's a quick update for ya guys!

"Argh! I am so bored!" Gracilynn complains. She is lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling. They had been at the cabin for almost two days with nothing but a radio and some outdated magazines. Which, by the way, made for some obvious amusement for Bobby and Cas. Cas had gone out to bring back food for them and on his return he found Gracilynn lying on her back on the couch, eyes closed, her hands in the air waving around and belting at the top of her voice. Bobby was hiding his face with an old magazine, shaking from silent laughter. Gracilynn had made the comment, "You can't listen to Bohemian Rhapsody without singing along. And you can't just sing the normal parts, you have to do all the parts, including the opera ones." Cas was intrigued by this performance, but that was last night before dinner. Almost a day later and Gracilynn was already getting antsy. Cas wouldn't let her go anywhere and she was starting to get cranky from being cooped up in the small cabin for so long.

"You are as bad as your father," Bobby grumbles.

"This place has _nothing_ to do," Gracilynn all but whines, "Except listen to the damn radio."

"I'm sure you can find something to do," Bobby says, looking through some books. Cas had stopped by the house to make sure everything was fine. Zach and the demons were gone, but he'd rather be safe than sorry, I mean, this was Dean Winchesters daughter he was protecting. He had grabbed a bunch of books for Bobby and brought them back so he could do some research, much to Gracilynn's chagrin. She had complained that he should've brought the laptop as well. Bobby had told her the internet connection didn't work out here which she had replied that she could've at least played games on the damn thing.

Gracilynn sighs and climbs off the couch, looking around the cabin for _anything_ to keep her occupied. Her eyes fall on a kitchen drawer and a smirk appears on her face. She opens it up and pulls one of the objects out. She turns around and holds it up in the air.

"Can I practice throwing this?" she asks Bobby.

"Yeah, sure whatever," Bobby says, without looking up from his book, which he definitely should've known better when it came to a Winchester. Gracilynn's smirk grows bigger and she picks a spot on the wall and stands a few feet from it.

"Bobby, do you really think that is a wise decision?" Cas asks, having seen what was in Gracilynn's hand. He looks over and sees her take aim, pulling her arm back. Bobby looks up at Cas, annoyed at yet another interruption.

"Cas, I think I know what she should and shouldn't…" Bobby begins only to be cut off by a knife flying in his direction. "What the hell?"

The knife falls to the ground to Bobby's right and Bobby looks over at a very sheepish looking Gracilynn. Bobby shoots her a stern glare and Cas looks as if he wants to say something.

"Sorry," Gracilynn says, "It bounced off the wall."

"A knife Gracilynn?!" Bobby says.

"You said I could use it," Gracilynn counters, "It ain't my fault you didn't look up."

Bobby growls in frustration.

"Just…put the damn knife away," Bobby says, then mutter under his breath, "Next time we get jumped by angels and demons, your dad's coming and taking you with him."

Gracilynn's phone begins ringing and she answers it, looking at the caller ID first. She doesn't recognize the number, she probably shouldn't answer it. She looks over at Bobby and Cas who seem engrossed in one of the books. The phone continues to ring in her hand. Making of her mind, she decides to answer it. She can always hang it up if need be.

"Hello?" Gracilynn says.

"Gracilynn? Thanks God," a voice says on the other line.

"Uncle Sam?" Gracilynn says, confused as to why he is calling her from an unknown number.

"Yeah, listen Smalls. I'm trapped in some guys' body," Sam says.

"Wait, what?" Gracilynn asks, confused at the sudden announcement.

"We were on that hunt, and I got knocked out and the next thing I know I'm some geeky teenager. And I can't get a hold of Dean," Sam explains further.

"Um…okay," Gracilynn says, "So, if you can't get a hold of dad, what makes you think I can?"

"Because I think the guy whose body I'm trapped in is in _my_ body and I think he did something with Dean's phones. And I can't call my phone because he'll know it's me, or him, or whatever," Sam says.

"So, you want me to call your phone pretending I don't know what's going on in order to talk to dad and tell him what's going on," Gracilynn says.

"Yeah," Sam says.

"Okay," Gracilynn says.

"Awesome," Sam says, saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Gracilynn hangs up on her end and looks back over at Bobby and Cas. They are both looking at her.

"Who was that?" Bobby asks.

"Uncle Sam," Gracilynn says, "Apparently, he got Freaky Fridayed and now he can't get a hold of dad to tell him he got Freaky Fridayed."

"What?" Bobby asks.

"I'm confused," Cas says.

"You and me both," Bobby says. Gracilynn dials her uncle's cell phone number and waits for it to be picked up.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end says. Gracilynn puts on a façade and begins talking into the phone.

"Hey Uncle Sam, is dad around? I've been trying to reach him on his phone but it keeps ringing to voicemail," Gracilynn says.

"Uh…yeah, he lost his phone…who is this?" the not-Sam asks.

"It's Gracilynn," Gracilynn says, "Are you drunk?"

"Oh, uh…no, I…uh…" the not-Sam answers.

"Listen, I really need to talk to dad. Cas stopped by and told us something important about the sword," Gracilynn says.

"I was actually on my way out," not-Sam says, looking at the blonde standing next to him.

"So, just leave your phone with him. Sounds like you're at a bar. If you're leaving don't think you'll be needing a phone where ever you're going," Gracilynn says impatiently.

"Uh…okay, I guess," the not-Sam says. Gracilynn hears him telling someone to wait a minute. There is a moment of silence and then she hears some more talking and her name being said. There is another moment and then her dad's voice comes over the line.

"Gracie?" her dad asks.

"Hey, dad. Yeah. Listen is Sam gone?" Gracilynn asks. There's a second pause.

"Uh…yeah. Everything all right?" Dean asks, seeing Sam walk out of the bar with the blonde.

"We have a problem," Gracilynn says.

Bobby is making breakfast when his phone rings. It was just yesterday that Gracilynn had gotten the phone call from Sam and had to call her dad about his little body swap problem. So, when Bobby looks at the caller ID, he isn't surprised to see its Dean. He flips it open and answers it.

"Hey, Dean. You guys fix Sam?" Bobby asks.

"Yeah, he back to his normal gigantor self," Dean says, "We're on our way back. We should be back at the house by dinner time."

"You can't go back to the house remember?" Bobby asks.

"What? Why not?" Dean asks, confused.

"We're not there. Cas took us someplace else. He was gonna come tell you where we were. Are you high or something?" Bobby responds, just as confused.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" Dean asks, "Why would Cas take you guys someplace else?"

"Didn't you talk to your daughter the other day? She told you everything that happened," Bobby says, "Which still surprises me you didn't come right away."

"Yeah, I did, but…wait, what happened? Why would I have come right away?" Dean asks.

"The demons Dean! And Zach! Are you playing with me here? Gracilynn told you everything…" Bobby says, getting aggravated, but then trailing off as he starts to think about it. "She didn't tell you did she?"

"Tell me what Bobby?" Dean asks, knowing he probably won't like what he hears. Bobby sighs, thinking the same thing, looking over at Cas.

"I'm thinking I'll have to send angel boy to pick you up instead," Bobby says, getting Cas' attention before he starts telling Dean everything that happened. Cas nods his head and, after being told where they are, disappears to go get the brothers. Bobby sighs. _Dean is gonna be pissed_.

Gracilynn walks in to the living area after waking up and getting dressed. She looks over and sees Bobby sitting at the table staring in to a cup of coffee. He looks up when he hears her walk in. Gracilynn had heard him talking on the phone, but couldn't make out what he was saying; he was talking too low. She had assumed it was her dad and that he was coming back. Which is exactly when it dawned on her, if her dad was coming back that meant one question would lead to another and now… _Yup, dad is gonna kill me_.

"Uh…hey Bobby," Gracilynn says sheepishly, receiving a stern glare. "Was that dad?"

"Uh-huh," Bobby says, "Cas just went to go get them."

"Get them?" Gracilynn asks, "I…I thought he was just gonna tell 'em where we were?"

"Something tells me your dad is gonna wanna get here sooner," Bobby says, fixing her with his gaze. Suddenly, Cas appears right next to them.

"Uh…hey Cas," Gracilynn says hesitantly, "Where's dad?"

"Outside," Cas replies, "He seems rather angry."

Gracilynn lets out a nervous laugh. There is stomping on the stairs and the front door slams open. Everyone turns and looks to see a very angry Dean Winchester stomp in and only a slightly less angry Sam Winchester following behind him. Dean's gaze falls on his daughter.

"What?! You didn't think mentioning you were _attacked_ by angels _and_ demons was important?!" Dean yells.

"Well, we were safe," Gracilynn says meekly, "And your friend needed help so…"

Dean scoffs, looking around the room, rubbing a hand over his face. Sam raises an eyebrow and shakes his head, not anywhere near being amused.

"You were safe?" Dean asks mockingly, "Yeah, because being this close to being kidnapped by damn Zach or freakin' demons is being safe!"

"Well, not then, but when I called we were. Cas was here," Gracilynn offers up sheepishly.

"Cas was here. Yeah, because _nothing_ bad ever happens even _with_ Cas around," Dean says sarcastically.

"Your friend needed help. Didn't think you should just leave her…" Gracilynn starts.

"Exactly, Gracilynn! You didn't think! She could've waited. Or I could've gotten someone else to take the damn job!" Dean replies loudly, "I don't know what book you've been reading but in mine? You come first! Do you realize how much danger you're in right now?!"

"Dad, I'm fine," Gracilynn says, trying to calm her dad down. Dean scoffs again.

"Yeah, of course you are," he replies angrily. Sam takes a step forward.

"I don't think you understand Gracilynn. If they would've come back when we weren't here, we wouldn't know where you were. We would've had _no_ way of finding out," Sam says, barely holding his anger at bay. "Something like this happens you need to tell us right away. No matter what else is going on."

"I didn't want anyone else getting hurt again because I was too worried about my safety," Gracilynn says quietly, "I figured I was fine with Cas and Uncle Bobby here."

"Dammit Gracilynn! That doesn't matter. You do realize that if it came down to it, I would choose you over them in a heartbeat right?!" Dean says angrily. "One of these times, you're gonna get yourself killed! _Then_ where the hell is that gonna leave me?! I'm not even mad right now, I'm just…disappointed."

Gracilynn bites her lip, feeling awful.

"I'm sorry, dad," Gracilynn says.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," Dean says, pulling out his keys, "I'm going for a drive, don't wait up."

With that, Dean exits the cabin, slamming the door behind him. The tension in the room lingers like rotten onions. No one makes a move, Cas not knowing what to say and Bobby feeling slightly sorry for Gracilynn. Sam leans on the wall, arms crossed, watching his niece, obviously angry himself but biting his tongue.

"I'm sorry Uncle Sammy," Gracilynn says right before she turns around and heads back to the bedroom.

"I…I am mistaken," Cas says, "I thought she told Dean about the angels and demons."

"She lied Cas," Bobby says, "I thought she was over what happened but I guess not."

"What do you mean Bobby?" Sam asks.

"The last hunt you three took. When she was taken. She heard a something screaming, but she didn't do anything. Opted to keeping herself safe and later on, found out it was a kid being…" Bobby says. Sam sighs. They knew something else had happened and they knew it was bothering her, but not telling them about this? They really needed to have a talk with her. At least he did. His self-deprecating brother telling his self-deprecating niece not to be self-deprecating was…well, other than making his head hurt thinking about it, he doesn't think it'll go over well.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	7. Daddy's Girl All The Way

Dean pulls into the motel parking lot and shuts the car off. He looks in the rearview mirror; Gracilynn was looking out her window, head leaning on it. It has been a couple weeks since they met her and Bobby at the cabin and he yelled at her, but she was still acting weird. She wasn't talking much to either of them, only talking when she has to. Even with that though, whenever they ask her to do something she does it, no questions asked. She didn't seem mad, just… just depressed. She had been through the ringer these past couple weeks though; What with the angels and demons after her, going back in time and meeting her grandparents, and going up against Famine. Dean sighs to himself and climbs out of the car, heading inside to get a room for them.

Gracilynn watches her dad enter the motel office. She looks out her window, resting her forehead on it, and letting out a sigh. Sam looks back at her, but Gracilynn ignores him. Her gaze falls to something on the ground and she realizes her dad dropped his wallet. She opens her door to get out and grab it.

"Where are you going?" Sam asks.

"Dad dropped his wallet. I'll be right back," Gracilynn says, shutting the door behind her. She picks up the wallet and quickly makes her way in to the motel office, just in time for her dad to decide to come back out to the car to find his wallet.

"What's wrong?" Dean asks. Gracilynn holds up his wallet.

"Forget something?" Gracilynn asks. Dean grins grabbing his wallet from her and turning back around, walking up to the manager once again, holding up the object in his hand. Gracilynn hesitates, but then joins her father at the desk. The older man smiles at her, taking the offered credit card from Dean.

"This your daughter?" the old man asks, swiping the card.

"Uh…yeah," Dean answers.

"She looks just like you," the man says, handing the card and the receipt and pen to Dean. Dean signs the receipt and hands it and the pen back to the man, putting the card back in his wallet. "She must act a lot like her mother."

"No, I didn't get that pleasure," Dean says, smiling down at his daughter, "She's her daddy's girl all the way."

"You have a nice night," the old man says, smiling. Dean nods his head and walks out the door, Gracilynn following after him, waving good-bye to the elder man.

Once outside, Dean turns around to make sure Gracilynn is following after him, noticing her looking at a pamphlet. He stops and waits for her to catch up to him and takes a look at the paper in her hand.

"What's this?" Dean asks. Gracilynn looks up at him.

"Oh, nothing," she says, reaching to put it in her pocket. Dean quickly grabs it from her before she can hide it and looks it over.

"Old Tyme Railroad?" Dean asks, reading it over. He glances at his daughter, eyebrows raised.

"It's nothing," Gracilynn says, shrugging.

"Says here it's one of the original trains in the town," Dean says, "Doesn't sound like fun to me but you should talk to Sam. Sounds like something he'd be interested in."

Gracilynn's head shoots up at this, watching her dad as they come up to the side of the car.

"What?" she asks, not sure how to take the statement.

"They have a time early tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure I can find something to do," Dean says, climbing in to the front seat of the car. Gracilynn watches him for a second but then climbs in to the backseat of the Impala. She looks up front in time to see her dad toss the pamphlet to her uncle. Sam picks it up and looks at it, giving Dean a weird look.

"This a job?" Sam asks, confused as to the lack of explaining.

"Nope," Dean says, shooting a look at his daughter in the rearview mirror. Sam scrunches his eyebrows and looks back at his niece as Dean drives over to their motel room.

"Um…" Gracilynn says, "Dad said we could stay till after the one o'clock ride."

Sam get's an "oh" look on his face, finally understanding why he was given the pamphlet. He looks it over and read through it fast before saying anything. Dean parks in front of their door, exiting the vehicle.

"Sounds interesting," Sam says, "One o'clock?"

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, following her dad and uncle out of the car.

"Okay," Sam says, grabbing his bag and the key from Dean and walking over to the door. Gracilynn rounds the back of the car and grabs her bag from her dad as well. She hesitates a moment and Dean looks down at her, not closing the trunk just yet, but swinging his own bag over his shoulder.

"Sorry, dad," Gracilynn says quietly, "You know, about…before."

Dean watches her for a moment, sighing to himself. He glancing over the top of the open trunk nodding to Sam who has turned around to see what was keeping them. Sam nods his head in return and disappears inside the room. Dean looks back down at Gracilynn, making sure she was looking at him.

"Do me a favor, kay?" Dean says. Gracilynn nods her head. "No more lying to me. Or to your uncle. There's been too much of that lately. From all of us. Something like that happens, just tell us. Whether we're on another hunt or not. We can always get someone else to take it over."

"Okay," Gracilynn says, looking up at her dad, "I promise."

"Okay," Dean says, nodding his head. He shuts the trunk door, pocketing his keys in his coat. "Let's go before Sam decides to geek out over this railroad thing."

Dean shoots Gracilynn a smirk before heading towards the room door. Gracilynn smiles back, glad everything was okay between them. However, something her dad had said those few weeks back was still nagging at her. _He extended an olive branch so he couldn't be that disappointed in her right_? Gracilynn sighs but plasters a smile on her face and follows her dad in to the room.

"Hey midget, you ready?" Sam says, tossing a jean jacket at his niece. Gracilynn looks up in time to have it land on her head. She pulls it off and climbs off the bed she was lying on.

"Yeah," she says, putting her jacket on as she follows her uncle out the door.

"Have fun," Dean calls from his bed as he flips through the channels on the TV.

Gracilynn shuts the door behind her and climbs in to the front seat of the Impala next to her uncle. Sam starts up the car and pulls out of the parking lot, heading down to the train station. Gracilynn watches out her window at the scenery flying by thinking about the last few weeks. She turns and looks over at her uncle for a few seconds before speaking.

"Thanks for coming," she says. Sam looks over at her.

"Yeah, no problem. It kind of surprised me though," Sam says, looking back at the road.

"What?" Gracilynn asks.

"Didn't think you were in to all this stuff," Sam says.

"I might be a lot like dad Uncle Sam, but I was also raised by my mom," Gracilynn says, then after a few seconds, "I like history. It's fun to learn about it."

Sam nods his head in understanding as he parks the Impala and the two of them exit the vehicle. They take a look around and, after finding the door, they enter the old train station. Sam walks up to the ticket counter as Gracilynn takes in the old wooden walls and floors and the old artifacts surrounding the room. Sam walks over to her, handing her a ticket and pocketing his own. Gracilynn takes it from him and shoves it in her pocket, Sam taking in the room himself.

"The one o'clock train has arrived. Will the passengers please make their way towards their respective cars," a voice bellows out. Sam and Gracilynn make their way through the crowd and over to their number car, number fifty six, which happens to be the last car on the train. Sam and Gracilynn climb up the stairs and find a seat towards the front. A few more people get on and shortly after the train begins moving in a calming, leisurely pace. One of the young men across the aisle from them leans over.

"You two didn't believe in the stories either huh?" the young man asks. Sam and Gracilynn look over at him, confused at the question.

"Stories?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, the locals don't ride on this train. At least not on February 26th. Way back in 1920 when the train was actually a passenger train not just a tourist ride, there was a big accident. People either died or were seriously injured. Supposedly, now every ten years on this day, the train has an accident in the exact same spot," the guy says.

"Oh, that's…interesting," Gracilynn says, sharing a look with her uncle.

"Personally, I think it's all a pile of horse crap," the guy says, "But to each and their own."

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, "I'm gonna go get some snacks."

"I'll come with you," Sam says, following her through the cable car to the adjoining room holding the snack bar.

"You think it's just stories?" Gracilynn asks, standing in the corner. Sam shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know, but do we really want to take that chance?" Sam asks.

"Not like we can really do anything. The train is already moving," Gracilynn says.

"We can stop it from happening," Sam says.

"We should call dad," Gracilynn says, remembering what she promised him yesterday.

"Okay, you call him and I'll go talk to some of the workers and other passengers," Sam says, walking away. He stops at the end of the car and turns to his niece. "Be careful."

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, pulling out her phone. _We go on a nice train ride and naturally, it turns out to be friggin' haunted._

Please review! I actually go the idea for this hunt from an actual old train ride me and my family took over the summer. The whole time we were riding on it, I was thinking how if it was haunted what Dean and Sam would do and then it turned into an idea for my story and so forth. Think I was going through withdrawal


	8. Never Expected You To

"It's what?!" Dean asks on the other end of the phone.

"Haunted," Gracilynn reiterates.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean curses. "You get off it yet?"

"It's kinda hard to get off a moving train dad," Gracilynn says.

"It's an old train right? That means it goes really slow. Can't you just jump off?" Dean asks. Gracilynn snorts.

"And what? Leave all of these people to die?" Gracilynn asks. She can practically hear her dad's wheels in his head turning , fighting over what they should do.

"Dammit," Dean mutters.

"Dad, we can't do any research here on the train besides talking to people. You'll have to do most of it and then call us back," Gracilynn says.

"Or you can just stay on the phone and I can tell you everything as I find it out," Dean says. Gracilynn rolls her eyes.

"Dad," she says, "I can help Uncle Sam out while you do research. Three of us working on this case'll be faster than just two of you."

"Tell me again why you two can't get off the train," Dean says.

"'Cause it's what we do," Gracilynn says.

"Fine. Doesn't mean I have to like it though," Dean says grumpily.

"Never expected you to," Gracilynn says, "Call us when you've got something."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean says, hanging up the phone. Gracilynn puts her phone in her pocket and looks around, noticing one of the train workers entering the car she's in.

"Excuse me," Gracilynn says, getting the woman's attention. "Hi, I'm doing a paper for school on the history of this railroad and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions for my research?"

"Of course sweetie," the woman says. Gracilynn shoots her a smile she's seen her uncle give many times on occasion.

"Thanks," Gracilynn replies, following the woman to one of the seats in the car next to them.

"Hey, Gracilynn, I…" Sam says, walking up to his niece, trailing off when he sees the train attendant sitting next to her. He shoots her a smile. "Hi."

"You must be the uncle," the woman says.

"Ah, yeah," Sam replies.

"Gracilynn told me how you took her on this train to help her out with her research paper," the woman says.

"Yeah, well, this stuff isn't really her dad's thing so it's been dubbed my job," Sam says, smiling at her. "I…"

Sam stops, hearing his phone ring. He pulls it out of his pocket and looks at the caller ID. He shares a look with Gracilynn before looking over at the woman sitting next to her.

"Excuse me, I have to take this," Sam says, smiling once more before entering the snack car and answering his phone.

"Your uncle seems nice," the woman, Leanne, says, "Are he and your dad a lot alike?"

Gracilynn snorts and shakes her head.

"Not even close. I mean they have some things the same. They're both stubborn and scary when they get pissed. And they are protective of their family. But for the most part they are complete opposites. I guess that's why they work so well together," Gracilynn says. "It's good for me. I get the best of both."

Gracilynn sends Leanne a smirk much like her fathers'. Leanne smiles in return. They both look up as Sam enters the car again and walks over to them.

"Dean thinks he found out what happened _and_ he's pretty sure it wasn't an accident," Sam says.

"Really? Did he find out who?" Gracilynn asks.

"Yeah," Sam says, then remembering that Leanne is still there he stops talking.

"This is about the train accident right?" Leanne asks, looking between the two of them.

"Uh…yeah," Gracilynn says.

"And the stories about how the train gets wrecked in the same spot every ten years?" Leanne asks. Gracilynn and Sam look over her.

"You believe the stories?" Gracilynn asks.

"I don't know. This train does seem to get in accidents a lot on this day," Leanne says, then looks over at Sam, "Who did he say it was?"

"Uh… John Forshee?" Sam says questionably. "You know who that is?"

"Yes, I do. Some people say that he caused the train to go off the rails because his wife was going to leave him and take the kids," Leanne says.

"How would he be able to do that?" Gracilynn asks.

"Loosened up the bolts on the wheel before the train departed. The train was fine for a while but then the bolt got too loose and the wheel came off sending the car off the track. The problem was it happened on a turn and the car rolled into the front part of the train. It became a big catastrophe," Leanne explains.

"Do you know where he's buried?" Sam asks. Leanne gives him a look.

"I thought you were writing a research paper?" Leanne asks Gracilynn, looking over at her. Gracilynn grins at her, not knowing what to say. Leanne looks back at Sam. "You aren't here for a research paper are you? "

"Listen, we came on here for a relaxing ride and found out the train was probly haunted," Sam says.

"So, naturally, you start asking questions about where the guy is buried?" Leanne asks.

"This is kinda…our job," Sam says. Leanne gives him a confused look. "Getting rid of ghosts…"

"So, you're like TAPS?" Leanne asks. Sam scrunches his face up.

"Whose TAPS?" Sam asks.

"Kind of," Gracilynn steps in, "But better. We actually get rid of the ghosts. Listen we don't have much time. We need to know where he's buried."

"In the town cemetery," Leanne says. Sam gets his phone out and calls Dean.

"Hey, yeah. He's in the town cemetery. Call me when you're done," Sam says, hanging up his phone.

"So, what do we do now?" Leanne asks.

"Now we wait," Sam says.

No sooner than he hangs up the phone, Dean is grabbing his jacket and keys and is out the door. Starting up the Impala as he shuts the door, Dean takes off out of the parking lot, squealing the tires in the process. It only takes him five minutes to get to the cemetery. Another ten minutes later, and Dean is beginning to dig up the body. He works quickly, fearing that if he takes too long he won't be seeing his brother or daughter again. At least not alive. About an hour later, Dean's shovel hits wood. He breathes a sigh of relief and quickly slams the shovel into the box, breaking it open. Dean shoves the wood off to the side and climbs back out of the hole. Grabbing two cans, he begins to pour salt and gasoline on the body. Setting the cans down beside him, he grabs the box of matches and, striking one, throws it into the hole. The bones instantly alight and Dean watches it burn. Once he's sure the bones are burnt, he pulls out his phone and calls his brother.

"_Hey, you salt and burn him_?" Sam's voice says over the phone.

"Yeah, you're good," Dean says.

"_Just in time, cause we're coming up on the turn where it hap…_" Sam begins, cutting himself off.

"Sam?" Dean asks, hearing a commotion on the other end of the line. "Sam?"

"_Dean, I don't think it worked_," Sam says, a hint of fear in his voice.

"What? What do you mean it didn't work?" Dean says, hearing someone talking in the background but can't make out what they're saying. "Sam!?"

"_Dean I gotta go_," Sam says, hanging up the phone.

"Sam!" Dean says, pulling his phone away from his ear to look at it, noticing Sam has definitely ended the call. "Son of a Bitch!"

Dean grabs his bag, loading the shovel and cans back in it, running back to the Impala. He throws it in the trunk before hurriedly climbing into the front of the Impala, starting it up and shoving it into drive, squealing off yet again. No way was that damn train gonna take his family from him.

Sam stands up from where he was sitting with Gracilynn and Leanne, stretching out his back. It had been about an hour and a half and they were getting really close to where the accident had happened. Suddenly, Sam's phone begins to ring. Sam quickly takes out his phone, seeing it's Dean.

"Hey, you salt and burn him?" Sam asks, answering the phone.

"Yeah, you're good," Dean replies.

"Just in time," Sam says, looking out the window, "Cause we're coming up on the turn where it hap…"

Sam cuts himself off as he feeling a jolt from the train. He looks over at his niece who is looking back at him wide-eyed. The train jolts again, this time more profoundly. People begin to shout and yell, screaming when the train jolts for a third time.

"Sam?" Dean asks. "Sam?"

Dean's voice pulls Sam from his thoughts and he puts his attention on his brother.

"Dean," he says with a tinge of fear, "I don't think it worked."

What? What do you mean it didn't work?" Dean asks.

"This is exactly what happened," Leanne says. Gracilynn turns to her. "Why didn't it work? You said it would work."

"Leanne, I need you to focus for me," Gracilynn says, getting her to look right at her. "Did John Forshee make it off the train?"

Leanne nods her head, tensing up as the car jolts again. Why didn't they stop the damn train?

"Did he survive the crash?" Gracilynn asks.

"Uh…no, he got off the train and made a run for it but a piece of steel ended up stabbing him, nailed him to the tree," Leanne says. Gracilynn shares a look with her uncle.

"What tree?" Gracilynn asks.

"The one up ahead," Leanne says. Sam runs to the window and sure enough there is a tree in the clearing.

"Dean, I gotta go," Sam says quickly into the phone, ending it and putting his phone back in his pocket. "Gracilynn get everyone off this car and in to the next one."

Sam takes off towards the back of the car, grabbing salt from a tray.

"Where are you going?" Gracilynn calls after him, standing up.

"Someone gotta burn that tree," Sam says. "His bloods probly still on it."

Gracilynn looks around the train and sees a man trying to light a smoke, most likely to calm his nerves.

"Hold on," Gracilynn says, running over to the man and grabs his lighter, "I need this. Thanks."

Gracilynn runs back to her uncle, followed by protests from the man. She hands him the lighter and Sam looks at her, confused.

"I have matches already," Sam says, holding up a box he lifted from behind the snack counter.

"You need the lighter fluid though right?" Gracilynn says, shaking the lighter.

"It's a tree," Sam says, not sure she gets that it's not going to be enough.

"I know that," Gracilynn says, irritably, "But it'll at least help get it started."

Sam thanks her and takes the lighter from her, quickly making his way to the back of the car. He looks back at his niece, sharing a quick look before he jumps off the slow moving train. Gracilynn watches out the window, seeing he's okay and running for the tree. The train lurches again, this time followed by a loud screeching sound. She looks down at the ground and sees sparks flying from the wheel of the train.

"Son of a Bitch," Gracilynn mutters.


	9. Dad's Always Pissed

Hey, sorry about the mix up guys! Here's is the real chapter 9!

Gracilynn turns around to face the car in front of her. Everyone is beginning to panic and she knows she needs to get them to calm down before someone gets hurt. She begins to try to yell but no one is paying attention, making her frustrated. She looks around her and climbs up on the seat next to her, standing up on the back of it, holding the baggage shelf for balance.

"Hey!" she yells as loud as she can. People begin to turn around to look at her. When she sees she has everyone's attention she continues. "We need to get off _this_ car and on to the next one. _Safely_. So I need all of you to make your way over there."

The people stare at her like she isn't speaking English, which only serves to aggravate her further. The train lurches again and she just barely holds herself up on the seat. She sighs in aggravation and looks at the crowd before her.

"Now!" she yells. Suddenly, the car is in a blur of motion as people begin quickly, but not in panic, make their way to the next car over. "Hey, Leanne."

Leanne looks up at her from the seat she's sitting in, panic written all over her face.

"You need to go and get the conductor to stop the train," Gracilynn says. Leanne shakes her head.

"No…I can't…I…" Leanne stutters out. Gracilynn climbs down from the seat and kneels down next to her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Yes. You can. You wanna know why? Because you're the only one who can. You _have_ to do it," Gracilynn says. Leanne looks at her for a few seconds but then nods her head. Leanne forces herself to stand up, shooting a nervous smile towards Gracilynn, and then heading over to the next car. Gracilynn watches her until she disappears. She looks back out the window to see her uncle pouring the salt and lighter fluid on the tree followed by striking a match. The tree goes up in flames and Gracilynn sighs in relief. Now all they have to do is get the train to stop, because even thought the ghost is gone, the car is still missing a wheel. _Speaking of, I should prolly get outta here_ Gracilynn thinks, feeling the train begin to slow down. Gracilynn makes her way to the next car when she feels the car begin to tip.

"Shit," Gracilynn says, hanging on to a seat for support. She looks out the window and sees the ground coming closer. Gracilynn's eyes grow big and she quickly crouches just in time for the car to tip over and land on its side. It doesn't prevent her from falling though and she smacks into the seat before smashing in to the window. Gracilynn lets out a yelp as her wrist hits the window hard, hearing a crack. Gracilynn lies on her back, cradling her wrist for a moment before opening her eyes. Right above her is the baggage shelf. _Thank God nothing was in there_.

"Gracilynn!" someone yells, as footsteps approach the car at a rapid pace. "Gracilynn!"

Gracilynn hears the footsteps pound in to the overturned car and she looks over to see her uncle enter through the doorway. Sam takes in the space inside the car, seeing food and drinks scattered throughout the side, or the bottom now, of the car. Bags and purses are everywhere. He hears a moan and looks to his left, seeing Gracilynn lying on the floor of the car.

"Gracilynn!" Sam yells, running over to her and helping her sit up. "You okay?"

"Uh…yeah," Gracilynn says. Sam notices she's cradling her left arm.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Sam asks, prying her right arm away and gently pulling the left towards him to get a better look. It was bruised and swollen and Gracilynn looked as if she was in pain.

"I think it's broken," Gracilynn says, "It smacked into the window really hard and I heard a crack."

"Crap. Dean's gonna be pissed," Sam says, letting her cradle the wrist to her body once more.

"Dad's always pissed," Gracilynn grinds out as her uncle helps her stand up.

"Touché," Sam says, helping his niece through the debris and out of the car onto the ground outside.

Once outside, they notice that the other passengers decided to get out of the train as well. Sam leads Gracilynn to an empty spot and takes a look around. A woman runs up to them , out of breath.

"There you are," Leanne says, "Thank God you two are okay."

"How is everyone else?" Sam asks.

"Fine. They're fine," Leanne says, looking back at the crowd. She turns around and checks them out, noticing how Gracilynn is cradling her one arm. "You're hurt."

"What?" Gracilynn asks, "Oh, no, I'm fine."

"I called 911. They should be here soon," Leanne says, eyeing Gracilynn's arm.

"Really, it's fine. My dad and uncle'll take me when we get back," Gracilynn says. Leanne purses her lips, but nods her head.

"I should go check on the other passengers," Leanne says, saying goodbye to them, before walking over to another group of people. Sam's phone begins ringing and he answers it, knowing who it is without even looking.

"Hey, we're good," Sam says.

"Thank God, you answered your damn phone," Dean says, sighing in panicked relief. "I had been calling you for the past fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, well, we were a little busy getting rid of a ghost and all," Sam says, eyeing Gracilynn.

"You get him?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, I got him," Sam says, looking back at the tree.

"You good?" Dean asks.

"Yeah," Sam answers.

"Gracilynn? She okay?" Dean asks.

"I think she broke her wrist, but other than that she's fine," Sam says.

"How the hell'd she break her wrist?" Dean asks.

"The train car tipped over," Sam explains.

"What the hell was she still doing in the damn car?' Dean growls.

"It's a long story," Sam says, giving Gracilynn a look.

"Fine, but you two _will_ tell me," Dean says, letting it go for now. "I'm in Hemsville. The train is closer to there so the cops said they'll bring everyone there."

"Okay," Sam says as he hears sirens in the distance. "See ya."

"Yeah, see ya," Dean says, hanging up the phone.

"Dad?" Gracilynn asks. Sam nods his head, putting his phone away.

"Come on Smalls, let's get back," Sam says, leading her to one of the police officers.

"Hey, Kiddo. How ya doin'?" Dean asks as he and Sam walk in to the hospital room. They had waited out in the waiting room while the doctor took x-rays of her wrist. They found that it wasn't completely broken, just fractured, but they had to put a cast on it nonetheless.

"I'm fine dad," Gracilynn says, annoyed at the question being asked for the umpteenth time. Dean silently checks her over without making it obvious. Satisfied she was telling the truth he drops the subject.

"Well, let's get outta here," Dean says, helping her off the table, "We have something to do before we leave."

"What?" Gracilynn asks, confused. Dean and Sam don't say anything as they walk out in to the hallway. Gracilynn sighs, but follows after them anyways, wondering what it is they possibly had to do here.

Gracilynn looks out the window and they pull up to a building. She looks at the sign reading, "Department of Motor Vehicles". She looks over at her dad, watching him as he shuts the car off and exits the vehicle, Sam following after him. Gracilynn unbuckles herself and climbs out of the vehicle.

"Dad? What are we doing here?" Gracilynn asks.

"Today _is_ March thirteenth right?" Dean asks.

"Uh…yeah," Gracilynn replies.

"Your birthday. You're sixteen," Dean says. Gracilynn looks from her dad to the building then back at her dad, eyes widening at what he is implying.

"Really?!"

"Happy birthday kiddo," Dean says, wrapping a hand around her shoulders. Sam smiles at her.

"Happy birthday Shorty," Sam adds as the three of them walk into the building.

An hour later and the three Winchesters are walking out of the building. Gracilynn is holding a piece of paper in her hands, reading it as she's walking to the Impala. A car is coming and Dean and Sam stop, each putting a hand out and grabbing an arm closest to them to stop Gracilynn from walking in its path. After the car passing them they cross the parking lot over to the Impala. Gracilynn looks up at her dad.

"Can I drive?" Gracilynn asks. Dean chuckles.

"Yeah, right. Remember the last you drove? No way. You can drive one of Bobby's cars when we get back there," Dean says, opening the car door.

"But, dad," Gracilynn whines, "That's gonna be weeks. Please, can I drive."

Dean looks over at his daughter, who's giving him the full-on puppy dog eyes pleading for him to say yes.

"No. No way," Dean says, already feeling as if he's going to lose the battle. He looks away from her and her pleading look and his gaze lands on his brother across the hood of the car.

"Uncle Sammy," Gracilynn whines, shooting her look over to her uncle, "Tell dad it's gonna be too long. I should start practicing right away."

"Whoa, don't drag me into this," Sam says, noticing the same look his brother had. He looks away and meets his brothers gaze, shrugging his shoulders.

"Please daddy," Gracilynn begs, hammering on the puppy dog eyes her uncle had taught her.

"That is so not fair," Dean grumbles, "Those should be illegal to use like that."

Gracilynn doesn't say anything just silently begs him to let her drive, not taking her eyes off him. Dean's jaw tightens, fighting against his every instinct.

"Dammit," he mumbles angrily, "Get in the back Sam."

Gracilynn yells excitedly, giving her dad a big hug, thanking him profusely.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't thank me just yet," Dean says, walking around the Impala and climbing in to the front seat as Sam climbs in the back. Gracilynn grins and slides in to the drivers' seat, shutting the door and putting on her seat belt. She looks over at her dad and uncle, seeing they have already buckled up.

"Dad," Gracilynn says. Dean looks over at her.

"What?" he asks.

"Keys," Gracilynn answers, holding out her hand. Dean makes a pained expression but hands over the keys anyways. Gracilynn takes them with a grin and turns the car on.

"Check your mirrors," Dean says, looking a little nervous. Gracilynn does as she's told. "Don't forget you have to hold down the clutch anytime you are shifting gears."

"I know dad," Gracilynn says exasperatedly.

"I don't have to let you drive Gracilynn," Dean says, giving her a look.

"All right," Gracilynn says, putting on the clutch and shifting gears.

"Make sure you look to make sure no one's coming," Dean says, looking for cars himself. Gracilynn looks and not seeing any, she backs out of the parking space. Putting on the clutch, she shifts to drive and slowly moves forward to the end of the driveway. "Good. Put on your turning signal."

Things were going good; Gracilynn was doing a lot better than the last time she drove. She puts it up to after that first time she made sure she watched everything her dad and uncle did when they drove. It seemed to help some. Unfortunately, when you start feeling sure of yourself, that's when fate puts you back in your place.

Gracilynn is sitting at a red light, waiting for it to turn red. She notices a car pull up alongside her left. She looks over and sees a very good-looking guy in the drivers' seat. He must've felt her looking at him and he looks over at her and sends her a flirty smile. She returns it when she hears a honk behind her. The guy next to her looks up at the light and quickly makes a left hand turn.

"Hey, it's green, go," Dean says. Gracilynn looks up at the light and sees that it has indeed turned green. She realizes she's holding up the line and people are getting angry, so she quickly puts on the gas. Of course, the Impala is standard and she forgot to put the clutch on before moving resulting in it stalling out.

"Shit," Gracilynn says.

"Gracilynn Samantha," Dean says then realizing what she did, groans. There is a long line of cars behind her and they have all started honking. "Put it in park and restart the car."

Gracilynn quickly begins following her dad's step by step instructions and gets the car ready just in time to drive through the intersection as the light turns yellow. Dean looks over at her and gives her a look. Gracilynn keeps her eyes on the road, but can feel her dad looking at her.

"Hey Sam," Dean says. Sam looks at the back of Dean's head.

"Yeah?"

"Didn't I say back at the DMV to make sure she steps on the clutch _every time_ she's changing gears?" Dean asks.

"I am _not_ getting in the middle of this," Sam says, leaning back and looking out the window.

"I'm sorry," Gracilynn says, "I forgot."

"The guy sitting next to us had nothing to do with it right?" Dean asks, giving his daughter a knowing look. Gracilynn didn't have to see his look; the tone in his voice said it all. She had been caught.

"I…" Gracilynn starts but stops, only to change her mind and say something else, "Oh, come on. Like you've never checked out a girl or flirted with one before while you were sitting at a red light."

"Of course I have," Dean says, "But I also kept an eye on the light and I've never _stalled_ the car because of it."

"Whatever," Gracilynn says, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Didn't you stall the car when you were…what? Eighteen because of a hot girl running on the side of the road?" Sam asks with a smirk.

"Shut up Sam," Dean says, "No, I didn't."

"No, I'm pretty sure that was you," Sam says, sending a smirk towards the rearview mirror, catching Gracilynn eye. Gracilynn sends him a smile.

"It was prolly dad," Dean grumbles, pissed Sam had called him out, looking out his window._ Stupid little brothers and their damn memories_.

Again sorry! Hopefully chapter 10 will make a little more sense to ya now… Please review!


	10. Something Stinks

Here's the next chapter! Hope everyone had a nice Veteran's Day! Also wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been following my story and for all of the awesome reviews! Thanks a bunch!

"Dean, I think we've got a problem," Sam says, nodding his brother over to the computer. Dean looks up from the TV.

"What?" he asks.

"I think I found us a job," Sam says.

"Okay, so how's that a problem?" Dean asks.

"It's in Sioux Falls, South Dakota," Sam says, giving his brother a pointed look. Dean raises his eyebrows, turning off the TV and climbing off the bed. He shoots a quick glance over at the other bed where Gracilynn is taking a nap. She had just gotten her cast off a couple days ago and had convinced him to let her go on their latest hunt. She did fine, but it had been awhile so she was tired afterwards. Seeing she's okay, Dean looks down at the computer screen, reading the information Sam brought up. "What do you think?"

"I think, we need to call Bobby," Dean says, standing up and beginning to pack his bag. Sam nods his head and shuts down the computer, packing it up when it was done. Dean walks over to the other bed and nudges his daughter awake. Gracilynn groans but lifts her head up, looking blearily up at her dad. "Hey, kiddo. We gotta go. Get your stuff; you can sleep in the car."

"Kay," Gracilynn says, groggily getting out of bed and packing her bag. Dean grabs his and the weapons bag, going to load them up in the trunk of the Impala.

"Hey, Sam. Call Bobby let him know what's up," Dean says behind him on his way out the door.

Sam nods his head and sets his bag on the floor by the door. Pulling out his phone, Sam dials his number, watching his niece sleepily gather her things. The phone goes to voicemail and Sam leaves a quick message as Dean walks back in to the room, sending him a questioning look.

"Voicemail," Sam explains, "I'll call again later."

Dean nods his head in understanding holding the door open as Gracilynn and Sam walk out the door. Dean does a quick once over making sure they didn't forget anything and then follows after them.

"Where are we going?" Gracilynn asks as her dad shuts the drivers' side door.

"Sioux Falls," Dean says, starting up the Impala.

"South Dakota? We're going to see Uncle Bobby?" Gracilynn asks.

"Yeah, Sam found a hunt out there," Dean says, pulling out onto the road, hoping the reason Bobby wasn't answering was because he was just not home. Even still, Dean shifts gears and pushes on the gas pedal a little harder than he should.

"Bobby, listen, when you get this message, call! Okay?" Sam says into his phone. They were in Sioux Falls sitting in the Impala outside one of the diners.

"Is he still not home?" Gracilynn asks from the back seat.

"How far could he get in that chair?" Dean asks in turn.

"So, what do we do?" Sam asks, ignoring Dean's comment.

"Well...Guess we just do it ourselves," Dean says, exiting the Impala. Sam and Gracilynn follow them inside; Dean and Sam were dressed in their FBI suits. Entering the diner, Dean looks around, noticing a scraggly looking man sitting at one of the booths. Dean nods his head towards him. "Hey."

Sam looks over and notices the same guy as Dean. Sam shares a look with Dean and shrugs his shoulders.

"You think it's him?" Sam asks.

"Only one way to find out," Dean says, leading the way towards the booth. As he approaches, the man looks up at him. "Mr. Wells?"

"Yeah. You the agents that called to meet with me?" Mr. Wells asks.

"Yes, we are," Sam says, sliding in to the opposite seat. Mr. Wells looks behind them, noticing Gracilynn. Dean glances behind him and sees his daughter hanging back a little.

"Bring your kid to work day," Dean says. Mr. Wells nods his head. Dean points to one of the chairs at the table next to them. "Sit."

Gracilynn rolls her eyes, but sits nonetheless. Dean takes a seat next to his brother and looks at the man across from him.

"Mr. Wells, why don't you tell us what you saw in your own words," Dean says.

"Call me Digger," Mr. Wells says. There is a snort from the table next to them and Dean glances at his daughter who's smirking to herself.

"Digger? Who gave you that name?" Dean asks.

"I did," Digger says, earning another barely concealed snort from Gracilynn.

"You gave yourself your own nickname? You can't do that," Dean says.

"Who died and made you queen?" Digger says. Dean raises his eyebrows at the remark.

"Okay," Sam says, interjecting to get the conversation back on track, "Uh, why don't you just tell us what you saw?"

"I saw Clay Thompson climb into Benny Sutton's trailer through the window. Couple minutes later, Clay walked out, and Benny's dead," Digger explains.

"And, uh...Is this the guy you saw?" Dean asks, holding up a photo.

"Well, he was all covered with mud, but, yeah. That's Clay," Digger replies.

"And you are aware that Clay Thompson died five years ago?" Sam asks, eyeing the man before him.

"Yep," Digger says matter-of-factly.

"And you're positive that it was this guy?" Dean asks doubtfully.

"You calling me a liar?" Digger asks defensively.

"No, no, no. Of course not," Sam quickly intervenes, "Look. Can you think of any reason why Clay Thompson alive or dead would want to kill Benny Sutton?"

"Hell, yeah. Well, five years ago, Benny's the one that killed Clay in the first place," Digger responds.

"Is that a fact?" Dean asks.

"Well, yeah, so-called 'hunting accident.' Now, if you ask me... Clay came back from the grave to get a little payback," Digger replies.

"Go on," Dean encourages as a woman dressed in a Sheriff's uniform enters the diner talking on a cell phone.

"Owen, put down the cupcake and pick up an apple… Okay? ...Okay. I love you," the woman says.

"Heads up. 'Fargo,'" Digger says quietly. Gracilynn looks behind them to see the sheriff approach the table.

"Digger," the sheriff says.

"Sheriff," Digger replies.

"Gentlemen. I'm sheriff Jody Mills. I don't believe we've had the pleasure," the sheriff says, looking from Dean to Sam.

"Agents Dorfman and Neidermeyer. FBI," Dean says.

"Welcome to Sioux Falls, gentlemen. Can I ask you what you're doing with digger here?" Sheriff Mills asks in a no nonsense tone.

"They're doing their job. They believe me, sheriff," Digger explains.

"The FBI believes a dead man committed a murder?" Jodi Mills asks, suspiciously.

"Look, we're just asking a few questions, sheriff. That's all," Sam says calmly.

"Of course, if a dead man didn't commit the murder, then, uh, who did?" Dean asks.

"What'd you say your jurisdiction here was again?" the sheriff asks.

"Our jurisdiction is wherever the United States government sends us," Dean answers.

"Oh, yeah. How 'bout me and your supervisor have a little chat about that?" Sheriff Mills says.

"Absolutely," Sam says confidently, handing her a business card. Sheriff Mills pulls out her cell phone and calls the number on the card.

"Agent Willis speaking," Bobby says on the other line.

"Agent Willis, this is sheriff Jody Mills… Bobby?" Jodi Mills says.

"Oh… Excuse me?" Bobby asks, caught off-guard.

"Is this Bobby singer?" Sheriff Mills asks.

"Listen, I don't know who this is, but... This is Agent Tom Willis of the FBI," Bobby replies.

"Bull crap. FBI, huh?" the sheriff asks. Gracilynn raises an eyebrow at this and shares a look with her dad, who has risen one of his own eyebrows.

"So, uh... So you know Bobby singer?" Sam asks as soon as the sheriff hangs up her phone.

"That is a...a fun coincidence," Dean says.

"Here's what I know about Bobby singer. He's a menace around here, ass-full of drunk-and-disorderly's and mail fraud. You understanding me?" Sheriff Mills says firmly.

"I think we all can agree that you've made yourself perfectly clear, yes," Dean answers.

"So, whatever the three of you are planning, it ends here. Now. Ten-four on that, agents?" Jodi Mills continues.

"Yeah," Dean says. Sheriff Mills sends one last glance over Digger's way and walks away. Dean lets out a breath and shares a look with Sam before turning to look at Gracilynn. Gracilynn smirks.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Nothing," Gracilynn says, getting up and following her dad and uncle out of the diner.

"No, really. What?" Dean pushes.

"I just find it amusing that the sheriff was able to put you in your place," Gracilynn says, smirking.

"If you thought that was amusing, you should've seen Missouri," Sam says, smirking himself.

"Bite me," Dean says grumpily.

"You know how many times we called? Where have you been?" Dean asks Bobby. They had driven straight to Bobby's after their encounter with the sheriff.

"Playing murderball," Bobby replies.

"What's that smell? Is that soap? Did you clean?" Dean says, smelling the air.

"What are you, my mother? Bite me!" Bobby counters.

"Bobby, seriously," Sam replies, trying to keep everyone on track. Gracilynn looks around Bobby's house. It did look really clean. Everything was organized and you could actually see the floors and walls.

"I've been working. You know, trying to find a way to stop the devil," Bobby says irritably.

"Find anything?" Dean asks.

"What do you think?" Bobby replies.

"Bobby, it's just… there's a case less than five miles from your house," Sam says, calling Bobby out.

"What, the - the Benny Sutton thing? That's what this is about?" Bobby asks.

"You knew about this?" Dean asks.

"Hell, yes. I checked into it already. There's nothing here," Bobby responds.

"Except a witness who saw a dead guy commit murder," Sam says.

"What witness? Digger Wells?" Bobby asks.

"Yeah. So?" Dean replies.

"So, he's a drunk," Bobby replies.

"That's what the sheriff called you," Gracilynn says. Bobby sends her a look.

"Well, what about the lightning storms? They look like omens," Sam points out.

"Except it's in February in South Dakota in storm season. Guys, I thought it was something, too. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," Bobby replies.

"And sometimes it's an explosion waiting to be lit," Gracilynn counters, earning yet another look from Bobby.

"So who killed the guy?" Sam asks.

"Take your pick. This Benny Sutton guy was a grade-a son of a bitch. There's a list of the living a year long wouldn't mind putting a cap in his ass," Bobby answers.

"So, you're telling us... nothing?" Dean asks, not sure he believes it.

"Sorry. Looks like you wasted a tank of gas on this one," Bobby says.

"All right," Dean says, shrugging and leading his brother and daughter to the front door. Gracilynn takes another look around and eyes Bobby curiously before she follows after them. She wasn't so sure nothing was going on here.

"What's up?" Sam asks his brother when he notices him glances in the Impala's mirrors.

"Isn't that the graveyard back there?" Dean asks his brother.

"Yeah. So what? Bobby already checked it out," Sam replies.

"And? What, Bobby's never wrong? Come on. We'll take a peek, and then we'll hit the road. Can't hurt," Dean says, already turning the car around and pulling off on the side of the road.

Dean shuts the car off and climbs out of his seat walking around to the trunk of the Impala. Sam sighs but follows after him nonetheless. Gracilynn follows suit and meets her dad and uncle at the back of the car. Dean hands Sam a shovel, grabbing one for himself. Shutting the trunk of the Impala, Dean heads in to the cemetery, Gracilynn close at his heels.

"Hey," Sam says, getting his brothers' attention, after they've been walking through the cemetery for awhile. Dean turns around and notices the same thing Sam has, a grave with overturned soil.

"That looks fresh right?" Gracilynn asks her dad and uncle, walking up to the mound of dirt.

"Yeah, actually," Sam replies. Dean and Sam begin digging up the grave, telling Gracilynn to be a lookout in case anyone shows up.

"What is going on here?" Sam asks when they open the casket, seeing the grave is empty.

"I don't know, but something stinks," Dean replies.

Please review! Would love to know what ya'll thought of the chapter!


	11. Driving Priviledges

Here's a nice long chapter for you guys! Hope you like it!

Dean pulls up to Clay Thompson's house and shuts the car off. He exits the vehicle and pulls his gun out of the back of his pants and checks the clip. Seeing it's full, he places it back in his waistband as Sam climbs out of the car himself. Dean pokes his head back in the car and looks at Gracilynn.

"Stay here," Dean says.

"Dad…" Gracilynn begins to protest.

"Gracilynn. Stay. Here," Dean says firmly, shutting the Impala's front door. Gracilynn sighs, slumping back in her seat and crosses her arms. Dean and Sam make their way to the house and pick the lock on the front door, disappearing inside the house.

Gracilynn turns her head to look towards the house when she hears the door slam shut. Her dad, uncle, and some other guy, most like Clay Thompson walk down the steps towards the Impala. They stop for a moment, Dean and Sam facing each other talking, well, more like disagreeing. Suddenly, Sheriff Mills and another police officer stop them.

"Shit," Gracilynn mumbles, sliding down in her seat. "How the hell did I not see them arrive?"

"Freeze! Drop your guns!" the sheriff shouts, pointing her own gun at Dean and Sam.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. All right. Hey," Dean says, dropping his gun and holding his hands out in a calming manner. "Remember the guy you said that was dead and couldn't possibly commit murder? There he is."

"And?" the sheriff asks as if seeing a dead guy is a common occurrence. Gracilynn holds her breath, peering through the Impala's windows, watching the scene before her.

" 'And'? And you're welcome - for catching the undead killer zombie," Dean says exasperatedly.

"Whatever he is or isn't that don't give you the right to shoot him in the middle of the street," Sheriff Mills counters.

"Shoot me?" Clay Thompson asks, going slightly white.

"You're free to go, Mr. Thompson," Jodi Mills says.

"Free to go?!" Dean yells.

"I can't believe you were gonna kill me," Clay says to Dean.

"You're a zombie!" Dean yells, frustrated.

"I'm a taxpayer!" Clay yells back. Sheriff Mills and the other officer, arrest Dean and Sam and stick them in the back of a police car down the street, taking off towards the police station. Gracilynn looks back at the house and sees Clay go back in to his house, trying to calm down his wife.

"Awesome," Gracilynn groans. She quickly climbs up in to the front seat of the Impala and puts her seat belt on. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, knowing what she is about to do is going to be suicidal. She pulls off a panel below the steering wheel and pulls out the wires, going through the steps her dad had taught her a while back. The car comes to life and Gracilynn, remembering to put the clutch on, puts the car in drive and quickly makes her way over to Bobby's.

Bobby looks up from the book he's reading, hearing the roar of the Impala pull up his driveway. His eyebrows scrunch in confusion, trying to figure out why the Winchesters were back. Bobby sets his book down and wheels himself over towards the front door. There is an urgent knock on the door and Bobby, grabbing his shotgun, opens it up.

"Gracilynn?" he asks, surprised at seeing her. He looks behind her and doesn't see Dean nor Sam anywhere. "Where's your dad and uncle?"

"The sheriff took them," Gracilynn says.

"What? What do you mean the sheriff took them?" Bobby asks, more confused now than he was a moment ago.

"We went to the cemetery and dug up Clay Thompson's grave. The damn thing was empty so then we went to his house and found him there. I gotta say he looks pretty good for a live zombie. That's an oxymoron isn't it?" Gracilynn explains, her thoughts moving on to a tangent.

"Gracilynn, focus," Bobby reminds her.

"Oh, right. So we were at Clay Thompson's house and they brought him outside only to have the sheriff show up. Ending up setting Clay free and arrested dad and Uncle Sam," Gracilynn finishes explaining.

"Dammit," Bobby says, grabbing his coat and wheeling himself out towards the Impala muttering something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like "idjits." Once there he turns around and faces Gracilynn. "You're daddy gave you his keys?"

"Uh…no…," Gracilynn says cryptically. Bobby narrows his eyes at her.

"Then, how'd you drive here? 'Sides the point you only have your permit," Bobby asks.

"Uh…well… you see…" Gracilynn stutters out.

"Any day now," Bobby pushes.

"I kinda hot wired the Impala," Gracilynn says sheepishly.

"Now that's a conversation I'd love to see. Fact, I'd buy tickets to go see it," Bobby says, turning around and heading towards his car. "Come on, no sense in getting yourself into more trouble with your daddy."

Gracilynn sighs but follows him towards his car, knowing full well her dad was going to kick her ass for hot wiring his baby. _Maybe he'll look it over seeing as how I saved their asses…yeah, and maybe he'll sell the Impala as well_ Gracilynn thinks, rolling her eyes. Yup, definitely going to kick her ass.

Gracilynn pulls in to a parking spot next to the police station. She puts the car in park and shuts it off. She unbuckles her seatbelt as Bobby does the same opening his door and waits for Gracilynn to bring his chair around. Once Bobby is settles in his wheel chair, he wheels his way towards the door, Gracilynn following after him.

"Gracilynn wait by the car," Bobby says over his shoulder.

"What?! Why?! I want to come with you. What is with everyone and feeling the need to always leave me behind," Gracilynn argues.

"One, for backup if we need it and two? You're only sixteen," Bobby says, wheeling away from her, effectively ending the conversation. Gracilynn lets out a frustrated groan and leans up against the hood of Bobby's car, impatiently waiting for the three men to return.

About twenty minutes later the front door opens and Gracilynn looks up from her spot on the hood. She sees her dad, Uncle Sam and Uncle Bobby making their way towards her.

"It's about time," Gracilynn grumbles once they are close enough to hear her.

"Hey, it took some time and a little coaxin'" Bobby says defensively.

"Bobby, I thought the sheriff hated you?" Sam asks.

"She did till five days ago," Bobby answers.

"What happened five days ago?" Dean asks, quickly glancing at Gracilynn to make sure she is okay.

"The dead started rising all over town," Bobby answers.

"So you knew about this?" Sam asks defensively.

"Yep," Bobby replies.

"I think what Sam meant to say is, you lied to us?" Dean clarifies, hurt in his voice.

"Look I told you there was nothing here. And there isn't. Not for you," Bobby argues.

"There are zombies here," Dean points out.

"There's zombies... And then there are _zombies_. Come with me," Bobby says, wheeling his way to the passenger side of the vehicle.

"You want to tell us what the hell…" Dean begins asking as the four of them walk in to Bobby's house.

"Oh, hey. I didn't realize you were bringing company," a woman asks, walking in to the room.

"It's four A.M., babe. You didn't need to cook," Bobby says, looking at all the food on the counter and table.

"Oh, please! I'll get some more plates," she replies.

"Who was that?" Dean asks.

"Karen. My wife," Bobby explains.

"Wait, you have a wife?" Gracilynn asks confused. "Is this one of those 'The Hangover' moments?"

"Your new wife?" Dean asks, ignoring Gracilynn's comment.

"My dead wife," Bobby replies.

"This is incredible, Mrs. Singer," Dean says, swallowing his bite of pie.

"Thank you, Dean," Karen replies. Sam gives Dean a look.

"What? It is," Dean says defensively. Gracilynn nods her head.

"One of the best pies I've ever tasted," Gracilynn says, backing her dad up.

"Thank you Gracilynn," Karen says with a smile.

"It's great, Karen. Thanks. Could you, um, just give us a minute?" Bobby says. Karen nods her head and leaves the room, going back in to the kitchen.

"Are you crazy? What the hell?" Dean says angrily.

"Dean, I can explain," Bobby says.

"Explain what? Lying to us? Or the American girl zombie making cupcakes in your kitchen?!" Dean asks, barely containing the raising of his voice.

"First of all, that's my wife, so watch it," Bobby says firmly, glaring at Dean.

"Bobby, whatever that thing is in there, it is not your wife," Sam says, trying to keep everyone calm.

"And how do you know that?" Bobby asks defensively.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the Death Certificate," Gracilynn mutters.

"Are you serious?" Sam asks.

"You think I'm an idiot, boy?" Bobby says, "My dead wife shows up on my doorstep, I'm not gonna test her every way I ever learned?"

"So what is it? Zombies? Revenant?" Dean asks, forcing himself to calm down.

"Hell if I can tell. She's got no scars, no wounds, no reaction to salt, silver, Holy water..." Bobby replies.

"Bobby, she crawled out of her coffin," Dean says.

"No, she didn't," Bobby says, earning a confused look from all three Winchesters. " I cremated her. Somehow, some way, she's back."

"That's impossible," Gracilynn says.

"Tell me about it," Bobby replies.

"You bury her ashes?" Sam asks.

"Yeah," Bobby answers.

"Where?" Dean asks.

"In the cemetery. That's where they all rose from," Bobby replies.

"How many?" Dean asks.

"15, 20, I made a list. Uh, there's Karen... Clay... Sheriff Mills - her little boy came back," Bobby says, listing names off.

"And there were no signs? No omens?" Sam asks.

"Well, there were the lightning storms," Bobby says, sheepishly. Dean and Sam share a look before turning back to Bobby, clearly not amused.

"That's what we said. What else?" Dean asks. Bobby pulls out a book and begins reading from it.

"And through the fire stood before me a pale horse. And he that sat atop him carried a scythe, and I saw since he had risen, they, too, shall rise, and from him and through him."

"So, what, death is behind this?" Dean asks.

"Death? Like "Grim Reaper" death?" Gracilynn asks.

"Yeah," Bobby replies.

"Awesome. Another horseman. Must be Thursday," Dean says, aggravated.

"Bobby... Why would death raise people in a podunk town like Sioux falls?" Sam asks.

"I don't know," Bobby responds.

"You know, if death is behind this, then whatever these things are... It's not good. You know what we have to do here," Dean says, not wanting to really bring it up.

"She doesn't remember anything, you know," Bobby says sadly, looking in to the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" Dean asks, confused at the change in subject, looking to the Kitchen as well.

"Being possessed, me killing her... Her coming back," Bobby explains. Gracilynn's eyebrows raise, but fortunately she decides to keep her mouth shut.

"Bobby…" Dean starts.

"No, no, don't "bobby" me. Just... Just listen, okay? She hums when she cooks. She always... Used to hum when she cooked. Tone deaf as all hell, but... And I never thought I would hear it again. Look, just read revelation. The dead rise during the apocalypse. There's nothing in there that says that's bad! Hell, maybe it's the one good thing that comes out of this whole bloody mess," Bobby says, cutting Dean off.

"And what would you do if you were us?" Dean counters.

"I know what I'd do. And I know what you think you got to do. But... I'm begging you. Please. Please. Leave her be," Bobby pleads.

The three Winchesters walk out of Bobby's house and down the steps, each thinking about everything they had just learned. Once they are near the impala, they each stop in front of their respective doors. Dean pulls out his keys, staring at them for a minute, lost in thought. He sighs and unlocks his door, freezing midway through opening the door, earning a curious look from his brother and daughter. Dean looks over at Sam, sending him a confused look himself.

"How did my car end up at Bobby's?" Dean asks. Sam shrugs and Dean turns to his daughter who has suddenly gone red faced.

"Uh…well…you see, that's a funny story…" Gracilynn says.

"Yeah? Tell me about it," Dean demands, not sure he really wants to know.

"Well, you guys were arrested so I…kinda…drove it here?" Gracilynn says.

"With a permit?" Dean asks.

"Yeah…But you guys kinda needed help," Gracilynn says. Dean looks at her for a moment before he speaks again.

"I'll let you off the hook this one time," Dean says, opening the door the rest of the way, stopping again before he climbs in to the seat, earning yet another curious look from a brother. Dean stands up straight and looks over at his daughter again.

"You drove it here?" Dean asks.

"Uh…yeah," Gracilynn says.

"How?" Dean asks.

"Well, you see, I started it up and then I put it in drive…" Gracilynn begins.

"Funny smartass," Dean interrupts her. "But how the hell did you start it up if I had the damn keys."

"Oh…that…" Gracilynn says, letting out a nervous laugh. Dean narrows his eyes.

"Gracilynn Samantha…" Dean says warningly.

"I…uh…well…I…think I…kinda…um…hot-wired it?" Gracilynn says guiltily.

"You what?!" Dean asks.

"Remember I saved your asses," Gracilynn points out.

"We could've _called_ Bobby. We do get one phone call," Dean argues hysterically, "I swear if you hurt my car…"

Dean quickly begins inspecting his car to make sure everything is okay. Gracilynn bites her lip and looks over at her uncle who seems to be finding all of this very amusing. She glares over at him which only earns a slight smirk he tries to hide. Dean stands back up, satisfied everything looks okay, and points his pointer finger at her.

"You lost driving privileges for a week," he says, climbing into his seat and shutting the door.

"Dude! Seriously?!" Gracilynn yells, groaning afterwards. She hears a chuckle from across the car and she glares at her uncle. "You're a jerk!"

Gracilynn opens her door and climbs in to her seat, shutting the door behind her. She slouches back in to the seat, crossing her arms and pouting. Sam shuts the door as he sits in his own seat, trying to cover his laughter with a cough, silently wishing he had video-taped it all.

Please review! Would love to know what ya'll think! ; )


	12. I'll Go With Him

Here's another chapter for ya'll! Enjoy!

"So, what do you think?" Sam asks Dean.

"There's nothing to think about. I'm not gonna leave Bobby at home with the bride of Frankenstein," Dean says, looking over at his brother.

"Then what do you want to do? Just walk in there in front of Bobby and blow her skull off?" Sam asks sarcastically.

"If she decides that Bobby's face is the blue plate special, I'd like to be there," Dean counters.

"Fine. See what else we can find out," Sam says.

"I'll drop you off in town then Gracie and I'll come back here," Dean says.

Dean and Gracie are leaning up against the Impala, watching Bobby's house; waiting for anything to happen. There is a sound to their right and they look over, jumping slightly when they see Karen approaching them.

"Oops. Did I scare you?" she asks.

"No. No. No. There's...Nothing scary about you at all," Dean says, nonchalantly putting himself between Gracilynn and Karen.

"Feel like some lunch?" she asks.

"Uh...We're good. Thanks," Dean stutters out.

"Oh. Come there's more pie," Karen says, urging him to come inside.

"I don't think that Bobby wants us inside," Dean says.

"Guess it'll have to be our secret, then, huh? Come on," Karen says, leading them to the back door.

Once inside, the three of them enter the kitchen. Dean and Gracilynn take in the pies littering every flat surface available. They share a look and Dean looks over at Karen.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you like pies. Did you bake all these?" Dean guesses.

"I don't know what it is. Since I got back, I can't stop baking," Karen replies.

"Yeah, when do you have time to sleep?" Dean asks, taking in all the pies again.

"I don't. Must be the excitement," Karen replies.

"Or being dead," Gracilynn says. Karen smiles sadly at them.

"I know you two don't trust me," she says.

"Why would you say that?" Dean asks.

"Come on, Dean. That's why you're here, isn't it? Keeping an eye on me? I know who you are. Just like I know Bobby's not the same mild-mannered scrap dealer I married. You hunt things. I-I'm a thing. I get it," Karen explains.

"So then you know that Sam and I would never let anything happen to Bobby. That he's like a father to us," Dean warns. Gracilynn clears her throat. "And of course Gracie."

"I understand. And he's lucky to have you looking out for him, Dean. But you're not the only one," Karen says.

"Is that so?" Dean asks.

"I-I remember everything, you know. When I died. That demon taking over my body... And the things it made me do. And Bobby having no choice but to... Well, you know what he did. But I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me. The guilt. It weighs on him," Karen explains.

"So why don't you just tell him you remember?" Dean asks.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you've never been in love. He's my husband. My job is to bring him peace... Not pain," Karen explains. She looks over at Gracilynn then back at Dean. "It's kind of like having kids. You hide things from them because you know if they ever found out it'd bring them pain. You know you shouldn't lie to them, but you do because you want them happy."

Dean looks at Karen for a moment then glances over at Gracilynn, who is watching him. Dean looks back over at Karen, completely understanding what she is talking about.

"Keep your damn voices down. Karen's upstairs," Bobby says, leading the Winchesters in to the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We're a little tense right now. Who's old lady Jones?" Dean says sarcastically.

"The first one to come up," Bobby answers.

"First one to go bad," Sam points out.

"Ah, she was always a nutty broad," Bobby says, trying to shrug it off.

"Nutty how? Nutty like the way she ate her husband's stomach? Was that the level of nutty she was in life?" Dean asks, earning a disgusted look from his daughter.

"No," Bobby replies deflated.

"Look, Bobby, I feel for you. But you have got to acknowledge that you're not exactly seeing this straight!" Dean calls him out.

"Bobby, whether you admit it or not, these things are turning. We have to stop them - all of them," Sam adds.

"Time to go," Bobby says, pulling out a gun and setting it on his lap. Gracilynn's eyes grow big and she looks to her dad and uncle.

"What?" Dean asks, confused.

"You heard me. Off my property," Bobby says firmly, barely holding on to his anger.

"Or what? You'll shoot?" Sam asks defiantly.

"If Karen turns, I will handle it my way," Bobby says, not backing down.

"This is dangerous," Dean says.

"I'm not telling you twice," Bobby says, cocking his gun. Dean's jaw tightens. Shaking his head he turns and heads towards the door. Sam huffs and follows after him. Gracilynn stares at Bobby holding the gun for a moment.

"Gracilynn!" Dean yells from the front door. Gracilynn gives Bobby a disbelievingly look and then turns around, catching up with her dad and uncle.

"He's crazy," Dean says, sitting in the drivers' seat of the Impala.

"It's his wife, Dean," Sam counters.

"So he goes "full metal jacket" on us? We're his family, Sam," Dean says, glancing at Gracilynn in the rearview mirror. She hadn't said a word since they left Bobby's .

"Look, man. Bigger fish, okay? I mean, we got a bunch of zombies about to turn this town into a giant chew toy," Sam says, trying to guide his brother to the case.

"Yeah, and he's alone in the house making pie with one of 'em!" Dean yells.

"All right? So?" Sam asks.

"So! I'm gonna have to go back there and… and… and kill her. That's the only thing I can think of," Dean says desperately.

"If he sees you, you're a dead man," Sam points out.

"Well, then, I guess I won't let him see me," Dean counters.

"Okay. I'll...Head to town and rescue everyone - should be easy," Sam says with a hint of sarcasm.

"Sounds like," Dean says, matching Sam's tone.

"I'm gonna need some help," Sam says, looking over at his brother.

"What about the sheriff?" Dean suggests.

"Uh, last time I checked, the sheriff was pretty pro-zombie," Sam argues.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to convince her," Dean argues back.

"How? I don't know," Sam says.

"You're just gonna," Dean counters.

"I'll go with him," Gracilynn says from the back seat. Dean eyes shoot to her in the rearview mirror.

"What?" he asks.

"I'll go with Uncle Sam," Gracilynn offers. Dean laughs.

"Yeah, right," he says, "I don't think so Gracie."

"Uncle Sam needs help. I can help him," Gracilynn argues.

"It's too dangerous," Dean says, "You're safer at Bobby's."

"Yeah, right," Gracilynn scoffs. Dean gives her a look through the rearview mirror. "No offense dad, but I kinda can't handle Uncle Bobby right now."

"What?" Dean asks confused. Sam looks back at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asks her.

"The guy just pulled a gun on you two. I mean, I understand it's it wife and all, but it kinda really isn't. And you guys were just trying to help him out. Who pulls a damn gun on family when they're trying to help you out? I know I'm just some stupid teenager and I don't understand all this stuff and I'm prolly sticking my nose where it doesn't belong but…if he's protecting his corpse bride by pulling a gun on _my_ family…well, no matter how much I love the guy, that just doesn't fly with me," Gracilynn rants.

Dean and Sam exchange looks, coming to the same conclusion. Dean glances back at his daughter, sighing. He looks at the road, thinking for a moment before he speaks up.

"You're not some stupid teenager," Dean starts. "And you do understand this stuff. And yeah, you kinda are sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. But like I said, you're not a stupid teenager. You've been through more than most adults let alone other kids your age. So…"

"So…? Does that mean you'll let me go with Uncle Sam?" Gracilynn asks. Dean watches the road for a minute. He looks over at his brother then shifts his gaze to his daughter.

"Yeah, but you stay close to Sam. And you do _everything_ he tells you. Do you understand me?" Dean says firmly.

"Yes, sir," Gracilynn says sincerely.

"Don't make me regret this," Dean says, holding her gaze.

"I won't," Gracilynn says determinedly.

Sam and Gracilynn sneak up to the Sheriff's house. Sam looks in the window seeing the living room before him. He also sees a blood trail leading to behind the house. He backs away from the window and pulls out his gun.

"Gracilynn stay here. I'll be right back. Keep a look out," Sam says.

"But…" Gracilynn begins only to be silenced by a look from her uncle. Sam quickly picks the lock and enters the house. Then muttering under breath, "Of all the things to learn from dad he just _had_ to learn the 'don't-argue-with-me' look."

Shortly afterwards Sam and the sheriff plow through the front door, stopping as they hit the grass. The sheriff looks traumatized, not really sure what she just saw. Gracilynn quickly walks over to them.

"That was not my son!" the sheriff yells.

"You're right. It wasn't. Listen, sheriff. Your town is in danger. People are in danger, and we need to help them now. Can you do that for me? Can you focus for me, sheriff? Sheriff?" Sam says quickly. The sheriff looks over at him, gathering herself. She looks behind him and notices Gracilynn.

"You…I've seen you around. I…," she says then looks back at Sam. "How do we put them down?"

"Head shot," Sam answers.

"We're gonna need weapons," Sheriff Mills says.

"We can start by rounding up everybody we can find. Where is there a safe place we can take people?" Sam asks.

"Jail," the sheriff replies.

"Right. Just, um... Give me a minute," Sam says. He disappears in to the house and a single gunshot is heard. The sheriff flinches slightly. She looks over at Gracilynn, really taking her in.

"You seem kind of young to be here doing all this," she states. Gracilynn shrugs. Jodi glances at the house as Sam exits and walks over to them. "How'd you get involved in all this?"

"Sasquatch is my uncle," Gracilynn answers, nodding towards Sam.

"And the other guy that was with him?" Jodi asks.

"My dad," Gracilynn says.

"We ready?" Sam asks as he joins them.

"Yeah, we can take my car," the sheriff says, leading them to the car in the driveway.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	13. New Rule

Sorry for the late update. Got really busy with family up for Thanksgiving and all. Enjoy!

"All right, if I hand you a gun and you see a dead person, I don't care if it's your friend, your neighbor, or your wife, you shoot for the head. That's the only way we survive," Sam says, standing in front of a large group of people in the jail.

"Uh, you mind telling us who the hell you are?" a man asks.

"Friend of Bobby singer's," Sam says matter-of-factly.

"Town drunk," the man says. Gracilynn raises an eyebrow and Sam looks slightly confused.

"No, I-I thought..." Sam says, nodding at Digger, "He was the town drunk."

"Who told you that?" the man asks.

"Bobby singer…." Sam says after a moment's hesitation then quickly changes the subject. "Stay sharp. We'll watch the front door."

Sam grabs Gracilynn's arm and guides her over to the front door and the two of them peer out the window, seeing Zombies making their way towards the jail. Sam looks over at his niece.

"You ready?" he asks, watching her.

"I had two great teachers so…yeah," Gracilynn says, looking away from the window and over at her uncle, smirking. They turn back to look out the window. "Um…Uncle Sam…where are they going?"

"I…have no clue," Sam answers, watching the zombies retreating from them and making their way out of town.

"See, even the zombies think you smell," Gracilynn says, smirking and smacking her uncle playfully in the arm.

"They're zombies Gracilynn," Sam counters.

"Yeah, I know. And your stench still managed to scare them off. Pretty sad I'd say," Gracilynn says. Sam turns and looks at her.

"You know…" Sam starts.

"What?" Gracilynn asks with a smirk.

"It's kinda scary how much you channel your father without thinking about it," Sam says.

"What can I say? It's a gift," Gracilynn says, smiling. Sam rolls his eyes and leads her back to the group.

"All right, listen up," Sam says loudly, getting everyone's attention. "The zombies are leaving town."

"Why would they all of a sudden leave?" the man from before asks.

"We don't know. Which is why we're going after them. You guys stay here and remember what I said. If any of them come back, kill them," Sam answers.

Sam shares a look with Gracilynn and the two of them exit the room and head back to the front door. Sheriff Mills quietly leaves the group and follows them outside.

"Sam. Gracilynn. Hold up. I'm coming with you," Jodi says.

"Sheriff you should stay here with the rest of the people," Sam says.

"They'll be fine. You two need help and I figure, you saved my life so I owe you one," Sheriff Mills says.

"Okay," says Sam.

"I'll drive," the sheriff says, climbing into her car. Sam and Gracilynn climb in and Jodi takes off, heading out of town where they saw the group of zombies go.

"Anyone see them?" Jodi asks coming to an intersection.

"There they are," Gracilynn says, looking to her left. "The…herd? Of zombies is over there. What do you call a group of zombies?"

"Is it really that important?" Sam asks as Sheriff Mills turns the car and speeds down the road trying to catch up with the group.

"I don't know. But seriously. What do you call them?" Gracilynn says. "A pack maybe? Oh, how 'bout a horde? I like that one. A horde of zombies."

"How about a host of zombies?" Jodi offers up. "Or a swarm?"

"Swarm's pretty good too," Gracilynn says. "How about throng? Or a mob?"

"A gang?" Sheriff asks.

"I still think horde's the best," Gracilynn says. "A horde of zombies. Sounds vaguely ominous doesn't it?"

"Gracilynn," Sam says.

"What?"

"New rule. No channeling Dean while you're on a hunt," Sam says, sighing to himself, watching the zombies turn down a driveway. "Wait a minute. Isn't this Bobby's road?"

"Uh…yeah, actually it is," Jodi says. Gracilynn perks up at this and leans forward against the front seat, watching the zombies disappear.

"Isn't that…?" she begins to ask.

"Yeah, it is," Sam says, "Sheriff Mills I think we need to speed up now."

Sam, Gracilynn, and the sheriff exit the car and run up the steps, seeing the door hanging off its hinges. They hear yelling coming from the hall and they quickly make their way towards it, hearing gun shots ring out. They turn the corner to see Dean and Bobby trapped in the closet bombarded by the horde of zombies, trying to fight them off.

"Down!" Sam shouts. Dean and Bobby react quickly, crouching down. Sam, Gracilynn, and Sheriff Mills begin shooting all of the zombies, killing them off one by one. As soon as they are all dead, Sam looks over at his brother and surrogate father. "Are you okay?"

Dean and Bobby slowly stand up and look at the carnage before them. Dean looks up at the trio before him, silently nodding his head, looking exhausted.

"It's about time you guys showed up. We were almost dinner for a…herd?..." Dean begins.

"Horde," Gracilynn corrects.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Horde. It's a horde of zombies. We've already had this conversation in the car," Gracilynn says. Dean thinks about it and nods his head.

"It fits," he replies, then looks at everyone. "Huh, a horde of zombies. Sounds vaguely ominous ya think?"

Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn walk over to where Bobby is standing in front of a funeral pyre. They had just gotten back from burning all of the bodies with Jodi Mills. They stop, standing next to him, just watching the fire before them.

"So, thinking maybe I should apologize for losing my head back there," Bobby says.

"Bobby you don't owe us anything," Sam replies.

"Hey, look, I don't know squat from shinola about love, but... At least you got to spend five days with her, right?" Dean says.

"Right. Which makes things about a thousand times worse. She was the love of my life. How many times do I got to kill her?" Bobby answers.

"Are you gonna be okay, Bobby?" Sam asks.

"You boys should know... Karen told me why death was here," Bobby says, deflecting the question expertly.

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

"I know why he took a stroll through a cemetery in the sticks of South Dakota. He came for me," Bobby answers.

"What do you mean, you?" Dean asks.

"Death came for me. He brought Karen back to send me a message," Bobby replies.

"You? Why you?" Gracilynn jumps in.

"Because I've been helping you, you sons of bitches. I'm one of the reasons you're still saying no to Lucifer, Sam," Bobby answers.

"So this was like a hit on your life?" Dean asks.

"I don't know if they wanted to take my life or... My spirit. Either way, they wanted me out of the way," Bobby responds.

"But you're gonna be all right. Right, Bobby?" Sam asks, worried of the answer.

Gracilynn watches Bobby, seeing the raw pain in his eyes. She looks back at the pyre, watching the body burn before her. She bites her lip, feeling the emotions rise inside her, but she quickly clamps down on them. She gets it now; she understands everything that happened within the past couple days. And she hated it.

Please review! I love hearing what everyone thinks!


	14. What the Hell's His Problem?

So what did ya'll think of the episode last night? I loved it! Definitely one of those episodes people wouldn't find absolutely hysterical unless they watch the show. Anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Gracilynn is curled up in a ball on the bed, her head resting on the wall behind her, eyes shut; the hood of her sweatshirt on her head. Sam is sprawled out on the other bed, reading a book. The bathroom door opens and Dean walks out. He grabs his phone off the end table and yanks Gracilynn's hood over her face. Gracilynn protests weakly, shoving the hood back and looking up at her dad.

"I'm heading out to grab some food. Be back soon," he says, throwing his coat on.

"Kay," Gracilynn replies.

"Keep your uncle out of trouble," Dean replies, earning Sam's classic bitch-face before he exits the room.

"If you're that tired maybe you should just take a nap," Sam says, noticing his niece's position. She had pulled the hood back over her head and had gone back to resting her head on the wall behind her with her eyes shut.

"I'm not tired. I'm just resting my eyes," Gracilynn says, not moving or opening her eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause resting your eyes is exactly what you do when you're not tired," Sam mutters, dropping the argument and going back to his book. He had learned a long time ago with Dean that he had to pick and choose his battles and Gracilynn was the same way. Go figure.

The hotel room door opens and Gracilynn lifts her head up seeing Dean walk in, carrying a bag of food. She climbs off the bed and sits down in one of the chairs, grabbing her food and un-wrapping it. Sam sets his book down and climbs off his own bed and joins his brother and niece at the table.

"Hey, I think Gracilynn found us a job here," Sam says. Dean looks up at hearing this.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah, a family in town. I guess the dad stabbed himself," Sam says.

"How's that a job for us?" Dean asks.

"'Cause he stabbed himself seventeen times," Gracilynn points out.

"I don't know. Sounds more like a murder than a suicide," Dean says.

"The coroner said the wounds were self-inflicted," Gracilynn says.

"You already talked to the coroner? Without me?" Dean asks, aggravated. Gracilynn gives her dad a confused look.

"It's not like I did anything dangerous. I didn't even leave the hotel room. And Uncle Sam was here the whole time," she says defensively.

"You should've waited for me. You always seem to do this," Dean says irritated.

"Do what?" Gracilynn asks, her defenses rising even more.

"Just go off and do your own thing," Dean says, "Every time you do, someone gets hurt."

"Dean, dude, settle down. All she did was ask questions," Sam cuts in, confused by Dean's reaction.

"Whatever," Dean says dismissively. He throws his garbage in bag and drops onto one of the beds roughly, turning on the TV. Gracilynn looks over at her uncle, matching his confused look.

"I told you it was a job," Gracilynn says to her dad as the three of them walk back in to the hotel room.

"Rub it in why don't you," Dean says angrily. Sam sighs. His brother had been on edge since yesterday and he had no idea why. At least they know what killed the guy. It turns out it's the previous owner and he isn't very happy they're renovating his house. They already know where the guy's buried and came back to the hotel to rest up before they go out and burn the bones. A door slams shut, jolting Sam out of his thoughts. Gracilynn gives him an angry look.

"Dude! What the hell is his problem?! It's like he's not himself," Gracilynn all but yells.

"I don't know," Sam answers. "Let's just finish this job and then we'll worry about figuring out the epiphany that is Dean."

"Okay," Gracilynn says, not really liking having to wait.

Dean slams the hotel room door open, stalking over to one of the beds and throwing his bag on top of it. Sam and Gracilynn quietly walk in behind him. Sam shuts the door and he and Gracilynn watch Dean carefully. Dean spins around, glaring at his daughter.

"What the hell were you thinking Gracilynn?!" he yells.

"I was thinking about killing the damn ghost!" she yells back.

"Obviously! 'Cause you sure as hell weren't thinking about accidentally shooting me!" Dean yells angrily.

"I told you to stay put! You're the dumbass that ran in the way!" Gracilynn frustratingly yells, earning a glare from her father.

"Guys…" Sam begins.

"Shut-up Sam!" Dean yells without looking at him, keeping his glare on his daughter. "This is why you shouldn't be here! Why you should be with Bobby! Talk about a damn disappointment."

Gracilynn flinches, her uncle noticing. Sam steps between her and Dean, trying to be the voice of reason and diminish the fight before it got even more out of hand.

"Dean," he says complacently.

"No, Sam. Screw this," Dean bites out. He pulls the car keys out of his pocket and stalks out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Sam flinches at the loud bang. Sam turns around giving his niece a sympathetic look, seeing her staring at the door.

"Smalls. Hey," Sam says softly, putting himself in her line of sight. Gracilynn looks up at him numerous emotions playing over her face before she replaces her mask again.

"I'm just gonna go take a shower," Gracilynn says quietly. Sam sighs, watching her grab some clothes and disappearing into the bathroom.

"Damn it Dean. What the hell has gotten into you?" Sam mutter.

Sam looks up from his computer when the bathroom door opens. Gracilynn walks out and puts her clothes away, not looking over at him. Gracilynn climbs into her bed and curls up under the blankets. Sam purses his lips in concern.

"Gracilynn…" Sam begins.

"I'm really tired Uncle Sammy. Can we talk about this later?" Gracilynn says, keeping her eyes shut.

"Yeah, sure shortstuff," Sam responds, sighing afterwards. He combs his hair back with his fingers and looks towards the door, pursing his lip again, this time in anger.

Shortly later, the door opens and Dean walks in, shutting it roughly behind him. Sam quickly looks over at Gracilynn, making sure she's still asleep. Seeing she is, Sam looks up at him and studies him for a moment.

"What Sam?" Dean asks tersely. Sam sighs.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on her Dean?" Sam asks. Dean shoots him a glare. "I mean you _did_ run in the path of the bullet."

"Sam," Dean warns.

"No, Dean," Sam says, continuing. "Do you even realize what you said earlier?"

"I am _not_ talking about this Sam," Dean says, grabbing clothes out of his bag, and retreating to the bathroom. Sam sighs in frustration, turning back to his computer.

Gracilynn chances opening her eyes and peeks over towards the bathroom. She notices her dad stop before going in. He glances back at Sam and smirks. Gracilynn feels a pit developing in her stomach. A car drives by, lighting up the room. Gracilynn blinks, her breath catching. _Was it just her or did her dad's eyes shine in the headlights_. Before she can think about it any further, Dean enters the bathroom and shuts the door. Gracilynn hears Sam shut down his computer and get dressed, climbing into his own bed. Making a mental note to talk to her uncle the next morning, Gracilynn closes her eyes and falls asleep.

Gracilynn rolls over in her bed and blinks her eyes open. The sunlight shines through the window and onto her face causing her to close her eyes again. She hears the bathroom door open and someone walking around. She opens her eyes again and peeks over her blankets, seeing her uncle shoving clothes into his bag. Gracilynn stretches, sitting up and looking over at him. Sam looks over at her, meeting her gaze.

"You okay?" he asks. Gracilynn nods her head, then remembers what she saw last night.

"Hey Uncle Sam?" Gracilynn asks.

"Yeah, squirt," Sam says, walking over and sitting across from her.

"Is there a creature that when lights shine on them their eyes shine?" Gracilynn asks.

"Everyone's eyes shine a little when the light shines on them," Sam answers, wondering where this is going.

"No, I mean like glowing, shining more so," Gracilynn explains. Sam looks at her curiously.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"Nothing. I was just curious," Gracilynn says, shrugging her shoulders. Sam looks at her disbelievingly.

"Well, I'm not sure about when light shines _on_ them, but a shapeshifter's eyes will do that if you catch them on camera," Sam answers, watching Gracilynn closely.

"Oh, okay," Gracilynn says, climbing out of her bed and grabbing her clothes. She walks into the bathroom to get dressed, hearing the front door open.

"Hey," Sam says when Dean walks in and sets a bag of food on the table. Dean grunts in response, grabbing his egg sandwich and taking a big bite. Gracilynn appears out of the bathroom and sits down at the table with her dad and uncle, grabbing her own sandwich. The three of them eat in silence, but Sam can't help but think about what Gracilynn was asking about earlier.

Gracilynn pulls out her phone and begins to play with it. Sam notices and gives her a curious look. Without making it obvious, Gracilynn puts the phone in video camera mode and presses record. She holds it up as if she's trying to see a picture better. Nonchalantly, she aims the camera at her dad who looks up at her. Gracilynn sucks in a breath of air.

"What are you doing?" Dean asks annoyed. Gracilynn shifts her gaze from the camera to his face.

"Um…nothing. Just trying to get a better look at this picture," Gracilynn says, quickly putting her phone away.

"Let's get going then," Dean says, tossing his garbage out and making his way to his bag. Sam gives Gracilynn another curious look before he follows his brothers' actions and grabs his own bag, setting it on the top of his bed. Gracilynn just finishes her sandwich when she hears a _smack_ followed by a big _thump_. She turns around in her chair to see what the noise is. Suddenly, there is a blinding pain and then nothing but darkness.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	15. Shoot Him!

Here's the next chapter!

Gracilynn's eyes flutter open. She squints, quickly closing them as the sun shines directly into her eyes. She lets out a groan and rolls over, slowly pushing herself up on all fours. She breathes through the pounding in her head. She tries to open her eyes, this time being successful. She grabs the table and pulls herself up handing on to keep herself steady when lightheadedness occurs. When she gets her bearing, she opens her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them again. She slowly looks around. The chair she was sitting in is on its' side on the floor. Her dad and uncle's bags are where they had left them on their beds. Of course, her dad and uncle are nowhere to be found. She squints as the sun shines in her eyes again. She brings her hand up to her head only to quickly bring it back, letting out a hiss. Gracilynn makes her way into the bathroom and looks at her reflection in the mirror. There is a huge goose-egg on the left side of her forehead, a bruise already in full bloom.

"Shit," Gracilynn says. She makes her way back out to the room. She looks around, trying to remember what happened. She looks towards the window and walks over looking outside. She doesn't see the Impala anywhere. She turns back around and notices her phone on the floor. She picks it up and flips through her contacts stopping on her dad's name. She stops, remembering what she saw before she got hit; her dads' eyes glowing in the camera.

"Son of a Bitch," Gracilynn mutters, realizing if her dad, or not-dad, is really a shapeshifter then calling him probably isn't a good idea. Calling her uncle probably wouldn't work either. The shapeshifter probably has them both. Gracilynn shoves her phone in her pocket and begins searching in her dads' bag, pulling out his journal and the first aid kit. She sets them both on the table, pulling out an ice pack and sitting down. She sets the ice pack on her head letting out a muttered curse. She begins flipping through the journal trying to find the page on shapeshifters. She finally finds it and reads through it.

"Sewers? Gross," Gracilynn says, huffing. "There's only about a million of them around here."

Gracilynn read the information over again, trying to find anything that would help her find her family. She lets out a frustrated sigh, not finding anything.

"Come on Gracilynn. Think," she mutters to herself. "When did dad start acting different? Wait. A couple of days ago…he went for food by himself. He came back and started acting weird."

Gracilynn throws the ice pack on the table. She quickly rummages around in the weapons bag and pulls out a gun. Making sure it has silver bullets, she places it in her waistband, throwing her coat on, covering it up. Grabbing the motel key and putting it in her pocket, Gracilynn leaves, intent on finding her family.

Gracilynn climbs down the ladder, stepping onto the ground with a splash. She makes a face, but pulls out the gun. Clicking the safety off, she points it ahead of her and makes her way through the sewer tunnel.

Fifteen minutes later, Gracilynn emerges into a small room. Doing a quick scan of the room, Gracilynn sees her dad and uncle chained to the wall. Taking another look around and not seeing any possible dangers, Gracilynn puts the safety back on the gun and places it back in the waistband of her jeans. She pulls out her lock pick set her dad had given her for her birthday and walks up to him.

"Dad?" Gracilynn calls, gently smacking him in the face. "Dad? Come on, I need you to wake up."

Dean stirs, opening his eyes. He blinks a few times, trying to focus. Gracilynn checks him over, but other than being groggy, nothing seems wrong with him.

"Dad," Gracilynn calls again, getting his attention on her. Dean looks up at her, a confused look on his face.

"Gracie?' he asks. Gracilynn smiles.

"The one and only. Come on, I'm gonna get us outta here," Gracilynn responds, beginning to work on the locks. In no time, she has the locks unlocked and she is moving on to her uncle.

"Someone's been practicing," Dean says, massaging his sore shoulders.

"Yeah, well, practice makes perfect," Gracilynn says, turning to her uncle. "Uncle Sam, let's go."

Sam stirs awake himself, letting out a groan. Gracilynn makes quick work of his locks and Sam wakes up just in time to catch himself before falling. He looks up to see Gracilynn in front of him.

"Gracilynn?" he asks.

"Yeah, it's me," she replies, hearing a yell behind her.

Gracilynn turns around to see her dad fighting…well, her dad. Gracilynn pulls out her gun, setting the safety off and pointing it at the scuffle in front of her. The two men freeze, having heard the audible click of the gun. They stand up slowly, hands up, watching her. Sam tries to sand up but only finds himself sliding back down the wall. Gracilynn continues to point the gun at the men before her.

"Gracie, shoot him," the Dean on her right says.

"Don't listen to him," the Dean on the left says. "He's the shapeshifter. Shoot him!"

"Gracie look at me," the one on the right says. Gracilynn finds herself doing just this. "I'm real. Shoot him. Now."

"Gracilynn!" the one on the left says, "Listen to me dammit!"

Gracilynn doesn't know what to do. She studies the two men in front of her, trying to find out which one is her real father. She can't tell and she finds her hands shaking, knowing if she chooses wrong she'll kill her father.

"Gracie," the one on the right calls her. Gracilynn looks at him. "Kill him."

"But…" Gracilynn says.

"I trust you," the Dean on the right says, looking directly at her.

"Don't do it Gracilynn," the Dean on the left says. Gracilynn's eyes shift over to him. "He's trying to get inside your head. Shoot him, dammit! Don't be a disappointment!"

Gracilynn's eyes narrow looking from one Dean to the other.

"Gracilynn!" the one on the left says. Gracilynn pulls the trigger, shooting the shapeshifter in the heart three times.

I know it's short, but the next one will be longer I promise. Please review!


	16. What If I Was Wrong?

Here's the next chapter for ya'll. And as promised, it is longer

Gracilynn lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She stares at the Dean on the floor, the gun still pointing at him, her hands still shaking.

"Gracie," the Dean on the right says softly, making his way to her. Gracilynn eyes don't waiver. Dean glances at Sam behind her. Seeing him out of sorts, but okay, Dean returns his focus on his daughter. He places his hand over her shaking ones and the gun and steps in front of her, blocking her view of the body on the floor.

"Gracie," Dean says again. Gracilynn finally looks up at her dad, not letting him take the gun from her hands just yet.

"Gracie, it's me," Dean assures her. This time, Gracilynn does let him take the gun from her. Dean puts the safety back on the gun and sticking it in the waistband of his pants. "Come on, lets get your gigantor of an uncle back to the car."

"Okay," Gracilynn says. Dean looks at her. Now that the threat is gone, he's able to check her over, noticing the large bump on her head.

"What happened?" Dean asks, reaching out to touch it. Gracilynn flinches. Dean looks at her for a minute.

"It just hurts, that's all," Gracilynn explains.

"Did that thing do this?" Dean growls, feeling his anger rise up. Gracilynn nods her head.

"I'm gonna kill him," Dean growls again, turning towards the shapeshifter.

"Dean," Sam says softly. Dean stops and looks back at him. Sam nods towards Gracilynn and Dean looks at his daughter, noticing she's staring at his double again.

"All right, let's go," Dean says, helping Sam stand up. "Damn he really did a number on you didn't he?"

"Dean checks out the back of Sam's head, making a mental note to take care of it when they get back to the room. Dean helps Sam walk out of the room, looking behind him when he doesn't feel Gracilynn behind him.

"Gracie," Dean says. Gracilynn looks up from the body to her dad. Seeing him at the doorway, she glances at the body one last time before following after him.

Dean packs up the first aid supplies after taking care of Sam. He walks over and takes another look at Gracilynn's forehead. Gracilynn swats his hand away, earning a stern look from Dean.

"It's fine dad," Gracilynn says.

"You should put some ice on that," Dean says.

"Already did," Gracilynn says, earning another look from her dad.

"Dean," Sam says. Dean looks over and sees an ice pack in Sam's hand.

"All right. Fine," Dean says. "How d'you know how to kill a shapeshifter?"

"Dean," Sam says again. Dean look over at his brother again seeing him holding up his journal this time.

"That's my girl," Dean says proudly, smiling.

"How d'you know which one was the real Dean?" Sam asks. Gracilynn shrugs.

"The…not-dad…I don't know. It was the way he yelled at me. Dad's only ever yelled at me like that a couple times. And even then it wasn't like that," Gracilynn tries to explain.

"Oh," Sam says, shooting his brother a look Dean can't quite figure out.

"What?" Gracilynn asks, having seen the look.

"I had just thought it was because of something else," Sam says, dismissing it by opening his computer.

"Um…okay," Gracilynn says, "I'm gonna go take a shower. That sewer was gross."

"All right. Spill," Dean says to Sam as soon as Gracilynn disappears into the bathroom.

"What?" Sam asks. Dean gives him a knowing look. "Oh, that. Well, you heard what the thing said."

"Yeah. So?" Dean says, confused as to where this is leading.

"Dean. Yesterday the thing told Gracilynn she was a disappointment…"

"He said what?" Dean asks angrily.

"Dean. Listen. He also said that because of her choices, she gets people killed and hurt. Then, in the sewer he told not to be a disappointment again," Sam says.

"Dammit! I'm gonna kill him. Again," Dean says angrily.

"Dean," Sam says, getting his brothers attention again. Dean turns back to face his brother.

"What?"

"Remember back a few weeks ago when she lied about the angels and demons going after her?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Dean asks frustratingly.

"Dude, you told her you were disappointed," Sam says.

"No I…" Dean begins then dies off, remembering the argument. "Son of a Bitch."

"Dean, she's covering it up, but it's bothering her. Because if it didn't, she would've known it wasn't you when the thing told her not to be a disappointment again," Sam says.

"I don't think she's a disappointment. I mean I was disappointed in her lying but _she's_ not a disappointment," Dean says.

"I know that. But does she?" Sam points out. Dean looks to the bathroom door, thinking about everything his brother told him. _Looks like we have some things to talk about_.

"Hey kiddo," Dean says, plopping himself down on the bed next to his daughter. Sam had just went in to the bathroom to take a shower, so Dean figured it was as good a time as any to have this little conversation.

"Hey dad," Gracilynn returns curiously, looking up from the new Muscle Car magazine her dad got her when he went out for breakfast this morning.

"Listen, you handled yourself pretty good with that shapeshifter," Dean says.

"Okay…" Gracilynn says, returning back to the magazine.

"I mean it. You did what you had to do. And you figured it out when neither me or Sam did," Dean continues.

"Uh…thanks. I guess," Gracilynn replies, not looking up from the magazine.

"You did good. You should be proud of yourself," Dean says, trying to get his daughter to look up at him. Gracilynn shrugs her shoulders.

"I could've killed you," Gracilynn says, not really reading the magazine, but refusing to look up at her dad. "I almost messed up. Big time."

"But you didn't. You went with your gut and you saved both me and Sam," Dean says.

"Yeah. But…" Gracilynn begins, cutting herself off before she reveals anything more. Dean watches her.

"But what?" he prods. Gracilynn shrugs. "But what?"

"What if I was wrong?" Gracilynn asks.

"You weren't," Dean says.

"But what if I was? You could've died," Gracilynn pushes.

"Listen, you weren't wrong and I'm right here. No sense in worrying about what didn't happen," Dean says firmly. Gracilynn nods her head. Dean studies her for a moment. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Nothing," Gracilynn says.

"Mmhmm," Dean says unbelievingly.

"I almost didn't pull the trigger," Gracilynn admits. Dean furrows his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"I almost didn't shoot him…it. I didn't want to be wrong," Gracilynn says.

"Gracilynn…we just…" Dean begins, but Gracilynn cuts him off.

"I know. It wasn't because of maybe killing you. Well, it was but…it was more," Gracilynn says.

"Like what?" Dean pushes slightly.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," Gracilynn says, quickly dismissing the topic. She folds the magazine back up and moves to climb off the bed. Dean quickly grabs her arm and pulls her back down next to him.

"Nuh-uh," he says, "We're talking because I'm not gonna let this thing build up. 'Cause then we'll have even more of a chick-flick moment to deal with."

"Dad, really it's nothing," Gracilynn says, irritated her dad won't let her leave.

"Gracilynn," Dean warns. Gracilynn sighs in frustration.

"I just didn't want to be a disappointment again. I didn't want to mess things up," Gracilynn quickly says in annoyance.

"Look at me," Dean says. Gracilynn doesn't move, keeping her gaze on a spot on the far wall. "Hey, Gracie, look at me."

Gracilynn finally looks over at her dad, her jaw tensed, challenging him to tell her different. Dean looks at her for a moment before he continues.

"Now you listen to me because I'm only going to say this once and then I don't want to hear any more of this crap about you being a disappointment, ya hear?" Dean says, holding her gaze. "You're not a disappointment. You never were. Was I disappointed in some of the things you did? Yes. It happens. It's part of growing up. But _you_ are _never_ a disappointment. I'm proud of you. And I'm proud of how far you've come. Nothing will ever change that."

"Really?" Gracilynn asks.

"Damn right really," Dean says, "Now enough of this chick flick moment. There's supposed to be an eighties movie marathon on."

Gracilynn smiles as her dad grabs the remote control and leans back against the head board. He turns the TV on flipping to the channel he is looking for. Gracilynn leans back against the head board herself and joins her dad in watching Weird Science.

Hope ya'll like it! Please review and let me know what ya'll thought!


	17. Mom?

Here's the next chapter! Hope ya'll enjoy!

Gracilynn's eyes flutter open; the hotel room was just starting to lighten up. She rolls over and quietly slides out of bed, not wanting to wake up her dad and uncle. Not that anything probably would wake them up. They both had drunk a lot the night before, celebrating their successful hunt. So, Gracilynn sat and drank her pop and enjoyed finding amusement in seeing her dad and uncle getting tipsy. And was it amusing. Gracilynn smirks at the banter between the two brothers; she hadn't seen it in a long time, since before Lucifer. Gracilynn checks to make sure they are still sleeping and quietly makes her way to the bathroom. She knew she shouldn't have drunk all that pop right before going to bed.

Gracilynn washes her hands, drying them on a towel when she's done. As she moves to open the bathroom door, though, she freezes. She listens, staying as quiet as possible. She hears movement in the room and a click, almost like a gun cocking. She doesn't move from her position, just listens first.

"Looking for this?" a man's voice says.

"Mornin'," Gracilynn hears her dad say.

"Shut up. Hands where I can see 'em," the man says. "Who's in the bathroom?"

"No one," Dean replies.

"I heard the sink running. And the toilet flush. Get 'em out here. Now," the man says. There is silence. "Don't make me do something you're gonna regret."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean says. Gracilynn knew that voice. It was the one her dad used when he was scared for her or Uncle Sam. Making a decision, she opens the door slowly and steps into the room, seeing not just one man but two. Each one had a gun pointed at her dad and uncle. Dean shoots her a look, which Gracilynn returns with a sheepish smile.

"Well, I guess the stories are true," the man who had been talking says, "You really do have a daughter."

Dean moves to put himself between the men and Gracilynn only to have the first man step in his way and glare at him.

"Sit down. Keep your hands where they are," the man says. Dean furrows his eyebrows.

"Wait a minute. Is that you, Roy? It is, isn't it. Which makes you Walt. Hiya Walt," Dean says cockily. The two men look at each other. The man pointing his gun at Sam removes his mask.

"Don't matter," Walt says. The other man, the one who had been doing the talking, removes his mask as well.

"Well, is it just me, or do you two seem a tad upset?" Dean says, trying to keep the attention on himself.

"You think you can flip the switch on the Apocalypse and just walk away, Sam?" Walt says. Sam's eyes widen.

"Who told you that?" he asks.

"We ain't the only hunters after you," Walt says, pumping his shotgun. Gracilynn sucks in a breath. "See you in the next life."

"Hear me out. I can explain, okay? Please," Sam says, trying to talk their way out of this. Walt pausing for a moment, then pulls the trigger, shooting Sam. Gracilynn jumps, staring at her uncle's body lying on the bed. Dean jumps up to go to Sam.

"Stay the hell down," Roy says, shifting his gun to follow Dean's movements. Dean stares at his brothers body.

"Shoot 'im," Walt orders. Gracilynn's eyes shoot over to her dad, fear evident.

"Killin' Sam was right but Dean…" Roy says.

"He made us and we just snuffed his brother, you idiot. You want to spend the rest of your life knowing Dean Winchester's on your ass, 'cause I don't. Shoot 'im," Walt says. Dean turns to look at Roy, glaring at him.

"Go ahead, Roy, do it. But I'm going warn you, when I come back I'm going to be pissed. C'mon! Let's get this show on the road," Dean says, shooting a quick glance at Gracilynn before returning it back to Roy.

"Come on, already," Walt says impatiently. Seeing Roy isn't doing it, he steps forward and shoots Dean. Gracilynn jumps once more, this time staring at her dad's body lying on the bed. She feels the emotions rise up within her, but she doesn't have time to devote to them, hearing Walt's voice again.

"Shoot the girl too," he says. Gracilynn's eyes jolt towards the men before her.

"She's just a kid," Roy says.

"Dean Winchester's kid," Walt says, "She knows what we look like and what our names our. It'll only be a matter of time before she has the old man on our asses and about a dozen of other hunters."

"Walt…" Roy says, not wanting to kill a kid.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Walt says, aiming the gun at Gracilynn and pulling the trigger.

Gracilynn jerks awake, blinking her eyes in order to focus on her surroundings. She looks around the room, her breath catching in her chest. This was not the hotel room they were staying in. In fact, this was her room. The one she had back before she met her dad. She hears footsteps out in the hall and the door opens. Gracilynn's eyes grow wide, taking in the woman walking in to her room.

"Mom?" she asks hesitantly.

"Oh, good. You're up," Kayla says, grinning. "Get ready, I have a surprise for you."

"Okay," Gracilynn says as her mom disappears in to the hallway again. Gracilynn slowly climbs out of bed and realizes she's already dressed. _This is one messed up dream_. Gracilynn makes her way out in to the hallway and down the stairs. Once in the living room, she notices a pile of VHS tapes sitting on the table. Her mom walks in to the living room with a box of Ho-ho's and plops down on to the couch. Gracilynn realizes that this was the day after her tenth birthday. Kayla pats the cushion next to her and Gracilynn walks over and sits down next to her. Kayla hands her a package of Ho-ho's, which she accepts.

"What's all this?" Gracilynn asks, remembering the conversation that took place all those years ago.

"I know why you want to know about your dad. I get it. Well, I might not be able to tell you that, but I can show you this," Kayla says.

"Show me what?" Gracilynn asks. Kayla smiles warmly at her and picks up the remote and presses play. Gracilynn didn't have to watch the movies to know what was on. They were the home videos her mom and grandparents took of her growing up and before she was born. She curls up on the couch up against her mom and lets out a contented sigh.

Gracilynn looks up from the TV, having heard a noise behind her. She looks over at her mom and sees she hasn't moved from her spot. Gracilynn sits up and looks around her.

"Mom you hear that?" Gracilynn says, looking back at her mom. Kayla acts as if she hasn't heard her. Gracilynn sighs and stands up, making her way to the front door where she hears boots walking up the steps. _Definitely don't remember this happening_. Gracilynn grabs the door handle and pauses, hearing the footsteps go silent. She takes a deep breath and whips the door open, jumping back quickly.

"Holy crap," she mutters, staring at her dad. "Dad?"

"Gracilynn?" Dean asks, just as confused. His confused quickly turns to anger. "I'm gonna kill those mother…"

"Dad," Gracilynn says, "What's going on?"

Dean forces himself to calm down and controlling his emotions. He wasn't going to help them if he lost it on the one person who didn't deserve to be here.

"Dad?" Gracilynn asks again. Dean looks over at her and realizes she's still waiting on him to explain things.

"We're in heaven," Dean says. Gracilynn's eyebrows shoot up.

"Come again?" Gracilynn asks.

"Heaven. We have to find Sam," Dean says, grabbing Gracilynn's arm and pulling her towards the driveway where the Impala is sitting. Gracilynn pulls back.

"How did you know it was heaven?" she asks.

"Cas told me. Did it through some sort of connection through the Impala's speakers," Dean explains, tugging on her arm. Gracilynn digs her heels in and glances back towards the living room. Dean looks in the same direction, not being able to see in to the room but already knowing who's in there. "Your mom?"

Gracilynn nods her head, looking back at her dad, not knowing what to do. Dean takes a deep breath and looks her in the eyes.

"You miss her. I know. But this is _heaven_. That means in the real world your dead. You don't belong here. Not yet," Dean says. Gracilynn looks at him for a minute before nodding her head and letting her dad pull her down the steps and to the Impala. The two of them climb in and Dean starts up the car and takes off down the road.

"How d'you know I was in there?" Gracilynn asks, looking from her window to her dad. Dean looks over at her.

"I didn't. Saw the house. Thought Sam would be in there but then I really looked at the house and realized it was your old one. I went in to check it out. See why it was here," Dean explains. Gracilynn looks back out her window and Dean returns his attention to the road. _As soon as I get us outta here, I'm killing those two Sons of Bitches_.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think! Anyone else already going crazy knowing there's no Supernatural till January?


	18. It's Heaven

Here's the next chapter! Hope ya'll enjoy it! I have also started another story, although it will be a short story called Dead of Night. Please check it out

Dean and Gracilynn walk in to a house, entering the dining room where a group of people are sitting around the table. They overhear the last of the present conversation. Dean looks at his brother sitting at the table next to a young girl.

"Wow. Just wow," he says. Sam looks up and gives his brother a confused look.

"Dean? What are you doing in my dream?" Sam asks, then noticing Gracilynn, "Gracilynn?"

Dean makes a face at his brother. Sam slides out of his chair and the three Winchesters walk over to the next room. The conversation in the dining room continues even though Sam isn't in there.

"It's not a dream Sam. It's heaven. We're in heaven," Dean says, leading his brother into the living room.

"Heaven," Sam says thinking about what Dean has to say.

"Yup," Dean says.

"Okay, how are we in heaven?" Sam asks. He looks over at his niece. "And how did Gracilynn get here?"

"All that clean leaving I guess," Dean answers. "And Gracie got here the same way we did."

Sam shakes his head, trying to wrap his head around everything.

"No, no. Okay. You… I get, sure. But me? Maybe you haven't noticed but I've done a few things?" Sam says.

"You thought you were doing the right thing," Dean counters.

"I checked it wasn't the road to heaven that was paved with good intentions," Sam responds.

"Yeah, well, if this is the Skymall it sucks. I mean, where's the triplets and the latex, you know? C'mon, a guy has needs," Dean says.

"Ew. Dad," Gracilynn says, "Daughter in the room."

Sam looks over at Stephanie's family, seeing them still eating their dinner as if he is there still.

"You know, when you bite the dust they say your life flashes before your eyes," Sam says.

"Your point?" Dean asks, not getting where Sam is going with this.

"This house, it's one of my memories," Sam answers.

"When I woke up, I woke up in one of my memories. The Fourth of July we burned down that field?" Dean says.

"And I was at my old house watching old home movies with my mom," Gracilynn adds.

"Maybe that's what heaven is: a place where you relive your greatest hits," Sam offers.

"Wait, so… playing footsie with brace-face in there? Then that's a trophy moment for you?" Dean asks, hurt evident in his voice.

"Dean, I was eleven years old. This was my first real Thanksgiving," Sam counters.

"What are you talking about? We had Thanksgiving every year," Dean returns.

"We had a bucket of extra-crispy and Dad passed out on the couch," Sam says.

"Really?" Gracilynn asks, eyebrows raised. Dean shrugs his shoulders. There is a rumbling noise outside and the three of them begin looking around for what is making the noise.

"I don't remember this," Sam says. The lights go out, but the family in the dining room continues to eat. The house begins to shake.

"Hey," Dean says and the three of them look over at the family, "We should, uh…"

"Definitely," Sam says.

The three Winchesters run to the far corner of the room finding places to hide. Sam stands up beside the window flattening himself against the wall. Dean ducks behind the couch, yanking Gracilynn down with him. The glass in a picture on the mantle breaks even while the family continues eating in the adjoining room. A searchlight shines through the window and Dean drops down lower covering Gracilynn up with his own body. More furniture falls over and more glass breaks. Then, as suddenly as it appears, the searchlight disappears. The lights come back on in the house and Sam and Dean stand up. Dean keeps a hand on Gracilynn not allowing her to stand up just yet and the brothers look around them. They notice the family is still eating and talking in the background. Seeing no threat, Dean helps Gracilynn stand up, ignoring the annoyed glare she sends his way. Dean sees a radio and goes to it; Sam and Gracilynn follow.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Sam and Gracilynn ask.

"I don't know but we are taking the escalator back downstairs," Dean says, hitting the radio. "Cas!"

"What are you doing?" Sam asks.

"What's it look like?" Dean returns.

"Like you've lost your mind," Sam counters, causing his niece to smirk. Dean shoots him an exasperated look before explaining.

"Cas talked to me before using this phone-home radio thing, so I— Cas!" Dean says, yelling into the radio again.

"I think he's watched too much ET," Gracilynn puts in, earning a smirk from her uncle. Dean shoots her an exasperated look this time. The TV behind them starts to flicker and the three of them turn around in time to hear Cas' voice.

"I can hear you," Cas says on the TV.

Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn move towards the TV. They can see a picture of Cas on it but the picture continues to roll and it comes in filled with static. Cas' voice keeps fading in and out and is sometimes distorted.

"Cas. Hey! So I, uh, I found Sam. And Gracilynn. But… but something just happened. There was this weird beam of light," Dean says to the TV.

"Don't go into the light," Cas says matter-of-factly. Gracilynn snorts.

"Okay. Thanks, Carol Ann. What was it?" Dean says.

"Not what: whom. Zachariah. He's searching for you," Cas continues.

"And if he finds us?" Sam asks.

"You can't say yes to Michael and Lucifer if you're dead so Zachariah needs to return you to your bodies," Cas replies.

"Great! Problem solved," Sam says.

"No. You don't understand. You, hm. You're behind the Wall. This is a rare opportunity. Plus, he could care less whether or not Gracilynn returns to her body. It'd actually be easier for him if she didn't," Cas explains.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean mutters, then thinks about what Cas has just said. "For what?"

"You need to find an angel. His name is Joshua," Cas says.

"Hey, man, no offense but we are kind of ass full of angels, okay. You find him," Dean says adamantly.

"I can't. I can't return to heaven," Cas admits.

"So what's so important about Joshua?" Sam asks.

"The rumor is he talks to God," Cas answers.

"And, so?" Dean replies.

"You think maybe—just maybe—we should find out what the hell God has been saying?" Cas asks sarcastically.

"Jeez. Touchy," Dean replies defensively.

"Besides, he'll return all _three_ of you to your bodies," Cas puts in. "Please. I just need you to follow the road."

"What road?" Gracilynn chimes in.

"It's called the Axis Mundi. It's a path that runs through heaven. Different people see it as different things. For you, it's two-lane asphalt. The road will lead you to the Garden. You'll find Joshua there. And Joshua… can take us to God," Cas answers as the picture starts to break up badly. "The Garden. Quick. Hurry."

The TV dies and Sam takes a deep breath. The three of them turn to face each other, wondering what to do. Sam is the first to speak.

"So... What do you think?" he asks.

"I think we hit the yellow bricks; find this Joshua cat," Dean replies.

"Really?" Sam asks.

"What? You don't?" Dean asks in return.

"No, uh. I'm just surprised you do. Last time I checked you wanted to break God's nose, now you think he can help?" Sam counters.

"He's the only one who can. I mean, come on, Sam. We are royally boned. So prayer? The last hope of a desperate man," Dean says, turning and heading towards the front door.

"What? You don't want to hook elbows and sing 'We're Off to See the Wizard'?" Gracilynn asks smirking. Dean turns to around and looks at her, rolling his eyes.

"Start walking smartass," Dean replies.

Dean opens the front door and steps out onto the porch. Sam and Gracilynn follow out after him. They all stop and look around them. Instead of seeing the road, all they see is a forest surrounding them.

"Wasn't there a street out here?" Sam asks.

"Yeah…" Gracilynn begins.

"…There was," Dean finishes. The three of them walk back into the house and hallway and Dean begins looking around.

"Dean. What are you doing?" Sam asks, confused.

"Looking for a road," Dean replies.

"You…" Sam asks as Dean opens the closet under the stairs, "You think the road is in a closet?"

"We're in heaven, Sam, okay?" Dean answers, turning on the light. "I mean, our memories are coming true. Cas is on TV. Finding a road in a closet would be pretty much the most normal thing to happen to us today."

Dean notices something on the floor and makes a face, bending down to look at the small Hot Wheels set.

"What?" Gracilynn asks, peering around her uncle. Dean picks up a blue car and looks at it.

"I used to have one of these… when I was a kid," Dean answers, putting the car on the track and setting it into motion.

Please review!


	19. What Happens Next?

Here's the next chapter, a nice long one! The next few chapters will be quicker for all of ya'll!

Sam looks around them and sees they are no longer in the living room, but instead in a young boys' room. He scrunches his eyebrows and looks over at his brother.

"That was the road?" he asks.

"I guess," Dean answers, looking around and picking up on the same thing as his brother. The three Winchesters stand up, taking in their surroundings. "Kind of trippy, right?"

"Yeah," Sam says, noticing Dean's shirt. He nonchalantly smacks Gracilynn's arm and nods his head towards it. Gracilynn looks over and smirks. "More trippy. Um. Apparently, you 'wuv hugs'."

"Shut up," Dean says, covering his t-shirt. Sam and Gracilynn laugh and Dean looks around, realizing something. "Wait a minute. I know where we are."

"Where?" Sam asks.

"We're home," Dean replies.

"Dean…" a woman's voice is heard from outside the room. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn all turn to face the door. Mary Winchester appears in the doorway and she sends Dean a warm smile. "Hey, Dean. You hungry?"

Dean is sitting at the dining room table, Sam standing near him. Gracilynn hangs back slightly, leaning up against the doorframe of the room, watching the scene before her. Dean has a sandwich in front of him and Mary pours him a glass of milk.

"You want the crust off?" Mary asks Dean, looking at him.

"Yeah. I'd love that," Dean replies, giving his mom a longing look.

"Mom?" Sam asks. Mary doesn't say anything. Dean looks from Sam to Mary, who is only looking at Dean and not Sam.

"I guess this is not your memory, Sam. Sorry," Dean says. Gracilynn sees the change in her uncle almost instantly, from yearning to uncomfortable.

"Dean, uh. We should… go. Keep looking for the road," Sam says uncomfortably.

"Just… just give me a minute, okay?" Dean asks.

"Dean…" Sam begins.

"Sam. Please. One minute," Dean all but begs. Sam reluctantly nods. Mary ruffles Dean's hair and then walks away from the table. The phone rings and Dean turns around in time to see his mom answer it.

"Hello?… No, John… We're not having this conversation again… Think about what?… You've two boys at home…" Mary says into the phone.

"I remember this. Mom and Dad were fighting and then he moved out for a couple days," Dean explains.

"Dad always said they had the perfect marriage," Sam says.

"It wasn't perfect until after she died," Dean says off-handedly, watching his mother.

"Fine. Then don't. … There's nothing more to talk about," Mary says angrily into the phone. She hangs it up and turns away from the table, sniffing as if she's fighting back tears.

"What happens next?" Sam asks. Without answering his brother, Dean walks over and gives his mother a hug.

"It's okay, Mom. Dad still loves you. I love you, too. I'll never leave you," Dean says. Something seems to dawn on Sam and Dean and Mary break apart. Mary cups Dean's cheek in her hands.

"You are my little angel," Mary says, smiling too wide. "How 'bout some pie? Okay."

Mary moves away to get the pie and Dean walks over to where Sam is waiting. Sam shakes his head sadly and Dean notices.

"What?" Dean asks.

"I just never realized how long you've been cleaning up Dad's messes," Sam says sadly. Dean frowns.

"Whatever. Let's keep moving," Dean says. Dean and Sam begin searching the house, searching cupboards and drawers. Dean looks over and sees Gracilynn still at the doorframe, watching Mary. Dean closes the drawer he was looking in and walks over to her.

"Hey," Dean says, looking down at her. Gracilynn looks up at him and forces a smile. "What's going on in that little head of yours?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," Gracilynn says, glancing once more at Mary before pushing herself off the doorframe and walking over to one of the drawers near Sam. Sam pulls out a postcard that says Route 66.

"I've seen this somewhere before," Sam says. Dean and Gracilynn walk over and peer over his shoulder at the postcard.

"Where?" Dean asks.

Gracilynn looks up and sees a wall in front of them covered in postcards all from along Route 66. Dean steps in front of them, wearing adult clothes again.

"Where are we?" Dean asks.

"No way," Sam says. A golden retriever enters the room and Sam bends down excitedly.

"Bones! Hey, c'mere! C'mere!" Sam says. Dean and Gracilynn watch as the dog licks Sam's face.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey…" Sam says.

"Bones?" Dean asks, confused.

"Yeah. Bones was my dog. Hey," Sam explains, standing up and going over to a cheap coffee table. He opens up a pizza box

"Your… your dog?" Dean asks again.

"Yeah," Sam answers, sitting down on the couch, pulling a piece of pizza out of the box. Bones walks up beside him, his tail wagging. Dean looks around them, not happy.

"Is this Flagstaff?" Dean asks.

"Yeah," Sam says happily as he pets Bones. "Hey, Boy."

"This is a good memory for you?" Dean asks. Gracilynn senses the tension and anger rolling off her father.

"Yeah. I mean, I was on my own for two weeks. I lived on Funyuns and Mr. Pibb," Sam says, laughing. He feeds Bones some of his pizza.  
"Wow," Dean says unimpressed.

"What?" Sam asks confused.

"Well, you don't remember, do you? You ran away on my watch. I looked everywhere for you. I thought you were dead. And when Dad came home…" Dean says, trailing off. Sam looks guilty and Dean looks upset before he turns away from him.

"Dean, look, I'm sorry. I never thought about it like that," Sam says sheepishly.

"Forget it. Let's roll," Dean says, walking out of the room, leaving Sam and Gracilynn behind. Gracilynn looks at her uncle before quickly running after her angry father. Sam gives Bones a final treat before he stands up and follows after his brother and niece. Bones follows after him, so Sam bends down and gives him one last pet.

"Stay. Bones-y, stay," Sam says. He stands back up and walks out the door.

The trio finds themselves walking into a living room. Dean looks around and his gaze meets Gracilynn.

"This is your living room," he says.

"Yeah," Gracilynn says, looking around, trying to figure out what memory this is. It's dark outside through the windows and the only light that's on inside is the lamp on the table by the couch. There is a thump from the front door. Someone fiddles with the lock for a minute before finally unlocking the door. The door opens slowly and Kayla stumbles inside, tripping over the threshold. Gracilynn finds herself catching her before she realizes what she is doing.

"Gracilynn?" Kayla asks.

"Yeah, mom, it's me," Gracilynn says, half dragging her mom to the couch. She sits her down on it and helps her mom take off her coat and shoes. Kayla puts her hands on either side of Gracilynn's face.

"You are so good," Kayla slurs out.

"Yeah, okay mom. Let's get you into bed okay," Gracilynn says, trying not to look at her dad and uncle. She was worried this was the memory that was occurring. It was good because of what she learned from her mom but this stuff? She never really shared this stuff with anyone.

"No, listen. You take care of your family. You are so much like your father in that way," Kayla slurs. Gracilynn halts in her ministration, looking up at her mom. Kayla takes a deep breath. "Your dad always took care of his younger brother just like you do me. He would be so proud of you."

Gracilynn looks at her mom and feels the tears well up in her eyes. She takes a deep breath and finishes taking off her mom's shoe. She stands up and helps her mom stand up, Kayla leaning heavily on her.

"Come on mom. Let's get you up to bed," Gracilynn says.

"You look just like your dad too," Kayla continues. "You have his eyes. And his smile. And those freckles on your nose and cheeks. And his hair. And…"

"Okay mom, take a step. We're at the stairs," Gracilynn says, cutting her mom off and practically dragging her up the stairs. Dean follows them up the stairs hanging back a ways. Sam follows after him. Once up the stairs, Kayla pulls back, wavering slightly, and looks at her daughter. "Mom?"

"I know you want to know your dad. I'm sure he'd want to know you too. I know he'd love you just as much as I do," Kayla says. Gracilynn takes a stuttering breath.

"Mom, please. Let's get you in bed," Gracilynn says, tugging on her mom and leading her in to the bedroom. Dean stays in the hallway, watching his daughter pull back the blankets on the bed and help Kayla climb in. Gracilynn pulls the blanket back over her mom and tucks her in.

"Night mom. Love you," Gracilynn says, giving her mom a kiss on the cheek before exiting the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Gracilynn doesn't look at her dad or uncle as she walks past them and down the stairs. Dean and Sam share a look and follow after her. They stop at the bottom of the stairs. Gracilynn is standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed, staring at the floor.

"That happen a lot?" Dean asks.

"Not really. Every once in awhile. Usually around the summer. July maybe," Gracilynn says.

"July?" Dean asks for clarification. Gracilynn nods her head. "I left in July."

"Oh," Gracilynn says quietly, everything starting to make sense now. "Can we go now?"

Gracilynn turns around and walks out the front door. Dean and Sam exchange another glance before following Gracilynn out the door.

They stop as their feet hit blacktop. They look around, something seemed different. The three of them turn around and see that they aren't in front of Gracilynn's house anymore but instead across the street of a house with a wrap-around porch. Gracilynn looks over at her dad and uncle, knowing this isn't her memory. She sees that Sam remembers where they are. She looks over at her dad and sees it takes him a minute but he eventually figures it out as well.

"Dad?" Gracilynn asks hesitantly.

"What memory is this?" Dean asks, already knowing the answer.

"No idea," Sam says, obviously lying. "Alright, come on. Dean… Road. God. Remember?"

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. This?" Dean asks angrily. Gracilynn bites her lip, backing up a little, realizing things were about to get ugly and she didn't even know why. "This is the night you ditched us for Stanford, isn't it? This is your idea of heaven? Wow."

Dean laughs painfully and Sam has the courtesy to look guilty. Gracilynn looks back and forth between her dad and uncle. She knew Sam had gone to college but neither one of them talked about this ever.

"This was one of the worst nights of my life," Dean adds, turning away from Sam.

"I can't control this stuff," Sam says defensively. Dean turns back towards him.

"Seriously? I mean this is a happy memory for you?" Dean asks, not understanding.

"I don't know. I mean, I was on my own. I finally got away from Dad…" Sam says. Dean turns away again.

"Yeah he wasn't the only one you got away from," Dean says hurtfully.

"Dean, I'm sorry. I just, uh…" Sam begins but stops, not really knowing what to say.

"I know. You didn't, you didn't think of it like that," Dean says sarcastically.

"Dean!" Sam says loudly, warningly.

"C'mon! Your heaven is somebody else's Thanksgiving. Okay. It's bailing on your family. What do you want me to say?" Dean counters.

"Man, I never got the crusts cut off my PB & J. I just don't look at family the way you do," Sam tries to explain.

"Yeah, but I'm your family…" Dean says, "Gracilynn's your family…"

"I know…" Sam says.

"I mean, we're supposed to be a team. It's supposed to be you, me, and Gracie against the world, right?" Dean asks.

"Dean, it is!" Sam shouts.

"Is it?" Dean asks after a pause. Sam looks at Dean, devastated, but before he can say anything, the searchlight hits them. They looks up at it. Realizing who it is, they break off into a run towards the trees at the side of the road. "Go! Go!"

Dean grabs Gracilynn's arm and all but drags her through the woods, shouting at Sam in front of them to hurry. They run through the woods, eventually seeing a log in front of them. They jump over it and hide behind it, Dean yanking Gracilynn down next to him, all three of them breathing hard. They hear someone walking in the woods on the other side of the log.

"Wow. Running from angels. On foot. In heaven. With out-of-the-box thinking like that I'm surprised you boys haven't stopped the Apocalypse already," Zachariah's voice appears in the woods close by. He snaps his fingers and the night instantly turns to daytime. "Guys. What's the problem? I just want to send you back to Earth, that's all."

Dean and Sam peek over the log. Gracilynn pushes herself up and peeks over as well, only to have her dad put a hand on her shoulder and gently push her back down. Gracilynn scowls, but doesn't push it. Zachariah is standing a few yards away with his back to them.

"I mean, that is, after I tear you a cosmos of new ones. You're on my turf now, boys. And by the time I through with you, you're going to be begging to say yes," Zachariah says, searching the woods before him.

Dean grabs Gracilynn's arm and pulls her up and the three of them take off running once more. Zachariah hears the commotion and turns around, seeing them run off into the woods once more. He smiles at their retreating backs. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn stop abruptly, Zachariah having appeared directly in front of them.

"Guys, c'mon. You can run but you can't run," Zachariah says, smirking. Dean's still hanging onto Gracilynn and he tugs her the opposite direction as the three of them take off back the way they came. This time they halt when they run into a slim figure dressed in a colorful mask and cape. Gracilynn raises an eyebrow, giving the figure a look. The figure puts a finger to his mouth, telling them to be quiet.

"Sh," the figure says, "Hurry. This way."

The trio runs after him as the figure leads them to a small wooden shack. He scribbles some symbols on the door and opens it, shutting it behind them once they all run inside.

Please review and let me know what ya'll thought! Due to the Hellatus, I've been craving Supernatural so I've been writing non-stop. So hopefully that's a good thing It means faster updates!


	20. Yeah, And It Sucks

Here's a quick update for you guys! Enjoy!

"Wait. Who are you?" Sam asks, eyeing the figure before them. Gracilynn eyes him as well before looking around the room. It's a lot bigger than the outside made it out to be. There are chairs and tables set up throughout it. She hears ruffling and looks back over at the figure as he takes off his mask and cape.

"Ash?" Dean asks, surprised at seeing him.

"Wait, you know him?" Gracilynn asks her dad.

"Yeah, he helped us out a lot a few years back. Ash claps his hands twice and the lights turn on.

"Welcome to my blue heaven," he says, spreading his arms out wide. Dean looks around, stunned, and Sam smiles. They realize they are in the Roadhouse.

"Good God, the Roadhouse. It even smells the same," Dean says, looking around, hearing music playing from the jukebox. Ash picks up his mask and cape.

"Bud, blood and beer nuts. It's the best smell in the world," he says, walking behind the bar and snapping his fingers. "How 'bout a cold one? Up here? No hang-over."

"Awesome," Gracilynn says sitting at the bar.

"Settle down sparky," Dean says as he and Sam take a seat on either side of her, "I don't care if we are in heaven. You ain't drinking."

"Come on," Gracilynn whines. Dean shoots her a warning glare. "All right fine."

"Who is this?" Ash asks, eyeing Gracilynn.

"Ash, this is my daughter, Gracilynn. Gracilynn this is Ash. He was a friend of Ellen and Jo's. This place used to be the bar Ellen owned," Dean explains.

"Well, I'll be damned. Dean Winchester has a kid," Ash says.

"Scary ain't it?" Gracilynn asks with a smirk. Dean sends Ash a warning look and Ash just smirks.

"So… no offense…," Sam says, changing the subject.

"How did a dirt bag like me end up in a place like this? I've been saved, man. I was my congregation's number one snake handler," Ash interrupts, turning to look at Sam.

"And you said this was your heaven?" Sam asks, smiling.

"Yup! My own… personal…," Ash says, shotgunning his beer as Sam, Dean, and Gracilynn watch. Ash lets out a loud burp.

"And when the angels jumped us? We were…," Sam asks.

"In your heaven," Ash says matter-of-factly.

"So there're two heavens?" Sam asks, slightly confused.

"No. More like a hundred billion. So, no worries, it'll take those angels boys a minute to catch up," Ash explains.

"What?" Dean and Gracilynn ask simultaneously, both completely confused.

"See, you gotta stop thinking of heaven as one place. It's more like a butt-load of places all crammed together. Like Disneyland except without all the anti-Semitism," Ash continues to explain. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn still look really confused.

"Disneyland?" Sam asks.

"Mm-hmm. Yeah. See you got Winchesterland," Ash says, holding up his hands to indicate the bar. "Ashland."

"A whole mess of everybody-else-lands," Ash says, pointing all around outside of the bar. "Put them all together: heaven. Right? At the centre of it all? Is the Magic Kingdom. The Garden."

"So everybody gets a little slice of paradise," Dean says.

"Pretty much. A few people share—special cases. What not," Ash answers.

"What do you mean 'special'?" Dean asks.

"Aw, you know. Like, uh, soul-mates," Ash says. Silence greets him. Dean and look at each other, but Gracilynn looks from one to the other. "Anyway. Most people can't leave their own private Idaho's."

"But you ain't most people," Dean says, then looking over at Gracilynn. "He's a genius."

"Aw, thanks Dean. Nope. They ain't got my skills. Hell, I've been all over. Johnny Cash. André the Giant," Ash says, then turning to look at Sam. "Einstein. Sam, that man can mix a White Russian. Hell, the other day? I found Mallanāga Vātsyāyana."

"Who?" Sam asks confused yet again.

"He wrote the Kama Sutra. Huh, that boy's heaven? Ah, sweaty. Confusing," Ash answers.

"All this from a guy who used to sleep on a pool table," Dean says, smirking.

"Yeah. Now that I'm dead, I'm living, man, a whole lot more," Ash says.

"So how'd you find us?" Sam asks, curious.

"I rigged up my very own holy-rolling police scanner," Ash says, pulling a laptop from under the bar. He hits the power button and it starts up. It displays a slew of sound graphs and is making an annoying piercing sound. "That's angels. Blabbing Enochian, okay? I'm fluent."

Ash turns the computer off and puts it back underneath the counter.

"I heard that you were up. Of course I had to come find you. Again," Ash continues to explain.

"Again?" Dean asks, surprised.

"This ain't the first time here. I mean, you boys die more than anyone I've ever met," Ash replies.

"Really?" Dean says, even more surprised.

"Ah, yeah… you don't remember. God! Angels. Must've Windexed your brain," Ash says exasperatedly.

"So, uh. I mean, have you found anybody else? Ellen and Jo?" Sam asks. Ash looks taken aback.

"Ellen and Jo are dead?" Ash asks. Dean looks upset and doesn't answer him. Ash looks over to Sam who looks guilty and sad. He sees even Gracilynn looks upset.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah. A few months now. Sorry," Sam finally answers. Ash takes a minute to compose himself.

"Um, hmm. Uh, they went down fighting?" he asks.

"Yeah. 'Til the end," Sam says, nodding his head.

"Yeah, a lot of good it did," Dean says bitterly. "How 'bout our folks?"

"I've been looking all over for John Winchester, Mary too, but so far: nada. I'm sorry. But hey! There is somebody that wants to jaw with you. Hold up," Ash says, leaving the bar and going over to the back room that used to be his. They have the same symbols on it as the ones he drew on the outside of the shack. Moments later, he returns with Pamela Barnes. Both Dean and Sam look happy and surprised at seeing her.

"Pamela!" Sam shouts, noticing she has her eyes back.

"Nice to see you boys again," Pamela says. Ash fakes a shiver.

"Ooo," he says. Pamela looks over at Gracilynn and smiles.

"You must be Dean's daughter," she says. Gracilynn raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Uh…yeah…how…?" she says.

"She's a psychic," Dean says, smiling over at Pamela himself.

"That and you look just like him," Pamela says, smiling at her. Gracilynn returns the smile.

Sam and Ash are sitting at the bar, while Dean, Gracilynn, and Pamela are sitting at one of the tables in the raised section of the bar. Ash is working on his laptop across from Sam.

"So this is how you get around up here?" Sam asks.

"Hm, more or less. It's awesome to finally have an application—a practical application—for string theory," Ash answers.

"So," Dean says, sitting across from Pamela.

"So," Pamela says, reaching across the table and swatting Dean on the head. "That's for getting me killed."

"Yeah. That's… probably less than I deserve. Makes you feel any better we got Ash killed too," Dean says sheepishly. Ash raises his hand in a rock salute, having heard the comment.

"I'm cool with it," Ash says, snapping his fingers.

"He's cool with it. So you… you good?" Dean asks.

"I'm good. Really. Remember my death scene? Gut shot. Coughing blood. You told me I was going someplace better," Pamela says.

"I was lying," Dean says bluntly.

"You were right! My heaven? It is one long show at the Meadowlands. It's amazing! You should see it," Pamela says happily.

"Yeah," Dean says, nodding his head.

"You don't believe me," Pamela says.

"No, I do, it's just, you know. Spending eternity trapped in your own little universe while the angels run the show, that's lonely. You know. That's not Nirvana. That's the Matrix," Dean argues.

"I don't know. Attic's still better than the basement," Pamela points out.

"Yeah, but," Dean says, holding his hand out. "You know this place feels real, but it's Memorex. Real is down there."

"Yeah, well, close enough. Look, Dean, I'm happy. I'm at peace," Pamela assures.

"What? Are you trying to sell me a time share? I mean, what's with the pitch?" Dean asks earning a chuckle from Pamela.

"I know that Michael wants to take you out for a test drive," Pamela states.

"Pamela…" Dean starts.

"Just saying. What happens if you play ball with them? Worst case," Pamela says. Dean glances over at his daughter before answering.

"A lot of people die," Dean says.

"And then they come here. Is that really so bad? Look. Maybe… you don't have to fight it so hard. That's all I'm trying to say," Pamela says.

"Yeah, and it sucks," Gracilynn says. Pamela and Dean turn to look at her. "I mean it's not like you actually get to interact with the people. It's like living with an echo. They do the same thing over and over again. Who wants to live in the past?"

Sam and Ash turn in their seats, stopping whatever Dean is going to say in response.

"Hey! Found a short cut to the Garden," Ash says, giving them a thumbs up. Pamela returns it. "Oh, yeah."

The group stands behind Ash, who draws another sigil-formula, different from the previous ones, underneath a "Come in, We're Open" sign.

"All Access Pass to the Magic Kingdom," Ash says.

"Good," Dean says. Ash turns to look at him, giving him a look.

"Not good?" Dean asks.

"That Zachary fella's going to be watching every road to the Garden," Ash explains. Behind them, Sam gives Pamela a big hug good-bye.

"Watch your ass," Pamela says. Sam nods and leaves. "And Dean."

Dean reaches over for his own hug, but Pamela pulls his head down for a kiss. The first kiss is short but the second one is longer, earning a disgusted look from Gracilynn.

"Yup. Just how I imagined," Pamela says, smiling. She taps Dean's cheek and chuckles at the surprised look on his face. Pamela looks over at Gracilynn and pulls her in for a hug as well.

"Be careful and watch out for yourself," Pamela says.

"I will," Gracilynn says.

"Watch out for your dad and uncle too. They can be trouble magnets," Pamela says, smirking.

"That's putting it mildly," Gracilynn says, returning Pamela's smirk. Dean and Sam shoot them both a glare before Dean turns around to face Ash. After finishing the formula, Ash stands up and looks at the group before him.

"Ah, gentlemen. I don't mean to be a downer or anything but… I'm sure I'll see you again soon," Ash says. Dean turns back to Pamela, winking, and she smiles back at him. Dean turns back around towards Ash.

"Well, keep a sixer on ice for us," Dean says to him.

"Yeah," Ash says, nodding his head. He opens the door and the Winchesters walk through, Sam leading them.

Please review! I love hearing what ya'll think


	21. It's Worthless

Just want to say that our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and families of those at the Connecticut School yesterday. Having said that, here's another quick update for ya'll!

Instead of finding themselves in a garden, the Winchesters find themselves in the house in Lawrence. It's dark and empty and Gracilynn finds it kind of spooky. In the background, she hears a train whistle.

"What the… Why we back home?" Dean asks, confusion evident in his voice.

"I don't know. So what are we going to do?" Sam responds, making sure Gracilynn is near them still.

"Keep looking for the road again, I guess," Dean answers. Gracilynn has a feeling someone is watching them and she turns around to see Mary Winchester behind them in a white nightgown.

"Honey. Why are you up?" Mary says to Dean.

"Look. I'm…I'm sorry. I love you but you're not real and we don't have time…" Dean says.

"Did you have another nightmare? Tell me," Mary interrupts.

"I gotta go," Dean says, trying to shrug her off.

"Then how 'bout I tell you my nightmare, Dean? The night I burned," Mary says. The three younger Winchesters' eyes grow big as blood appears above Mary's stomach.

"Sammy, Gracie, let's get out of here," Dean says shakily, walking away.

"Don't you walk away from me," Mary demands. Dean stops, halting Sam and Gracilynn. "I never loved you. You were my burden. I was shackled to you. Look what it got me."

Mary blinks and her eyes turn yellow. Gracilynn hears a sharp intake of breath and she looks over to see fear and…something else in her dad and uncles' eyes. Mary stares at Dean and he finds himself frozen in place.

"Dad?" Gracilynn asks, not liking the looks on their faces. Sam comes out of his thoughts and looks over at Gracilynn, realizing they needed to leave, right now.

"Dean," Sam says, trying to get his brothers attention. Dean finally turns to his brother, but he looks devastated. The lights in the house suddenly change color, an unhealthy green. The room changes around them and the doors are all gone. Mary blinks and this time her eyes are their own natural blue.

"The worst was the smell. The pain, well. What can you say about your skin bubbling off? But the smell was so… You know, for a second I thought I'd left a pot roast burning in the oven. But… it was my meat," she says, staring directly at Dean, causing him to look back at her. Not for long though. He makes his way away from her and begins to look over where the doorway used to be, finding it's been bricked over.

"And then, finally, I was dead. The one silver lining was that at least I was away from you," Mary continues. She takes a deep breath. "Everybody leaves you, Dean. You noticed? Mommy. Daddy. Even Sam. Won't be long until Gracie does too."

Gracilynn flinches slightly at the nickname coming off her lips. It didn't sound right. She looks over at her uncle and sees that he looks upset at Mary's words. He doesn't say anything though; just stands there listening.

"You ever ask yourself why? Maybe it's not them. Maybe, it's you," Mary says, chuckling. Dean flinches slightly, his own inner voice agreeing with her.

"Easy now, kitten," Zachariah says, walking in behind Mary while she smiles evilly.

"You did this," Sam accuses.

"And I'm just getting started. I mean, guys. Did you really think you could just sneak past me into Mission Control?" Zachariah says humorously.

"You son of a bitch," Sam says, taking a step forward. He doesn't make it very far because a large angel goon appears and holds him in place easily. He looks over and sees Dean is in the same predicament. His gaze shifts to his niece and sees another large angel holding her in a bear hug and pulling her backwards away from them a few feet.

"You know, I'd say the same thing about you, Sam but I have actually grown quite fond of your mother. Or at least the Blessed Memory of her," Zachariah says, moving a piece of Mary's hair out of the way. He bends down and kisses her neck, causing Dean to look away. "I think we're going to be logging a lot of quality time together. I've discovered she's quite the…milf."

"You can gloat all you want, you dick, you're still bald," Dean says, attempting sarcasm.

"In heaven, I have six wings and four faces, one of whom is a lion. You see this because you're…" Zachariah says angrily before suddenly breaking himself off. He runs his fingers down Mary's arm and this time Sam looks away. "…limited."

Zachariah snaps his fingers and Mary suddenly disappears.

"Let's brass tack this, shall we?" Zachariah says.

"You gonna ball-gag us until we say yes? Huh, yeah, I've heard that one too," Dean says sarcastically, this time much more convincing. Zachariah walks up to him and slams a fist into his stomach. Gracilynn sucks in a breath. Dean folds over, letting out a pained groan.

"I'm going to do a lot more than that. I've cleared my schedule. Get him up," Dean says. The angel goon behind Dean forces him to a standing position again and Zachariah punches him in the stomach. Sam and Gracilynn struggle against the angel goons holding them, but to no avail. "Let me tell you something. I was on the fast track once. Employee of the month, every month, forever. I would walk these halls and people would AVERT THEIR EYES!"

The house begins to rumble and shake.

"I HAD 'RESPECT''! And then they assigned me you. Now look at me," he continues, chuckling unhappily. "I can't close the deal on a couple of flannel-wearing maggots? Everybody's laughing at me… and they're right to do it. So! Say yes, don't say yes; I'm still going to take it out of your asses. It's personal now, boys, and the last person in the history of creation you want as your enemy is me. And I'll tell you why. Lucifer may be strong, but I'm… 'petty'. I'm going to be the angel on your shoulder for the rest of eternity. And when I'm done, I'll go after your annoying little brat."

"Excuse me. Sir?" a slightly older black man says from behind Zachariah before Dean can threaten anything. Zachariah turns to face him.

"I'm in a meeting," Zachariah says tersely.

"I'm sorry. I need to speak to those three," the man says.

"Excuse me?" Zachariah asks, shocked.

"It's a bad time, I know, but I'm afraid I have to insist," the man says.

"You don't get to insist jack-squat," Zachariah says angrily. The older man just stares at Zachariah, not backing down; he is putting Zachariah on edge.

"No, you're right. But the boss does. His orders," the new man says.

"You're lying," Zachariah says, uncertain of his own accusation.

"I wouldn't lie about this. Look, fire me if you want. Sooner or later, he's going to come back home and you know how he is with that whole wrath thing," the black man counters. Zachariah looks over at the Winchesters. He returns his gaze to the man, but the man doesn't back down. There is a flutter of wings and suddenly Zachariah and his angel muscle are gone. Gracilynn instantly moves to her dad. Dean and Sam move closer, making sure either one is on Gracilynn's side and she is slightly behind them. The three of them stare at the new angel before them.

Gracilynn begins to look around, noticing the smell is different. She sees there are no longer in the house but instead, a garden. More like a conservatory. The sounds of the forest greet their ears. The three Winchesters walk down stone steps as one to meet Joshua.

"This is heaven's Garden?" Sam asks.

"It's-it's nice… ish. I guess," Dean says.

"You see what you want to here. For some it's God's throne room; for others it's Eden. You two, I believe it's the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. You came here on a field trip," Joshua says. Sam nods his head, remembering the field trip they went on.

"So why is Gracie seeing this then too?" Dean asks.

"Well, we can't have two different Eden's at once," Joshua says, "It went with the majority."

"You're Joshua," Sam says.

"I'm Joshua," Joshua says, nodding.

"So, you talk to God," Sam states.

"Mostly, He talks to me," Joshua corrects.

"Well, we need to speak to Him. It's important," Sam says impatiently.

"Where is he?" Dean asks.

"On Earth," Joshua answers.

"Doing what?" Dean asks.

"I don't know," replies Joshua.

"Do you know where on Earth?" Sam tries.

"No, sorry. We don't exactly speak face-to-face," Joshua answers.

"I… I don't get it. God's not talking to nobody so…," Dean begins.

"Why's he talking to me," Joshua finishes for him. "I sometimes think it's because I can sympathize…gardener to gardener…and, between us, I think he gets lonely."

"Well, my heart's breaking for him," Dean says disgustedly.

"Well, can you at least get him a message for us?" Sam asks, interrupting.

"Actually, he has a message for you. Back off," Joshua says. Gracilynn raises her eyebrows at the abrupt message.

"What?" Dean asks, surprised himself.

"He knows already. Everything you want to tell him," Joshua explains.

"But…" Dean begins.

"He knows what the angels are doing," Joshua interrupts. "He knows that the Apocalypse has begun. He just doesn't think it's his problem."

"Not his problem?" Dean asks stunned.

"That's kinda funny considering he _created_ everything. That kinda _makes_ this his problem, ya think?" Gracilynn says sarcastically.

"God saved you already. He put you on that plane. He brought back Castiel," Joshua says to the boys, ignoring Gracilynn jibe. He then turns to face Sam directly. "He granted you Salvation in heaven and after everything you've done too. It's more than he's intervened in a long time. He's finished. Magic amulet or not, you won't be able to find him."

"But he can stop it. He can stop all of it," Dean says.

"I suppose he could but he won't," Joshua says matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Dean says, not understanding any of this.

"Why does he allow evil in the first place. You could drive yourself nuts asking questions like that," Joshua answers.

"So he's just going to sit back and watch the world burn?" Dean asks, annoyed.

"I know how important this was to you, Dean. I'm sorry," Joshua replies.

"Forget it. Just another dead-beat dad with a bunch of excuses, right. I'm used to that. I'll muddle through," Dean says emotionally.

"Except… you don't know if you can, this time. You can't kill the Devil, and you're losing faith, in yourself, your brother, and now this?" Joshua points out. Sam and Gracilynn look over at Dean. They begin to see how desperate and depressed he really is.

"God was your last hope. I just… I wish I could tell you something different," Joshua says apologetically.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Sam asks.

"You think that I would lie?" Joshua asks, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"It's just that… you're not exactly the first angel we've met," Sam explains.

"I'm rooting for you boys! I wish I could do more to help you, I do! But, I just trim the hedges," Joshua explains.

"So what now?" Dean asks.

"You go home again. I'm afraid this time, won't be like the last. This time, God wants you to remember," Joshua says, lifting a hand. There is a whooshing sound and a bright light blinds them.

There is a sound of a tractor-trailer accelerating outside. Sam and Dean are lying on their respective beds; Gracilynn lying on the floor. There is a whooshing sound and Sam's eyes fling open. He sucks in a huge breath of air and sits up in shock. There is another whooshing noise and Dean sits up on his own bed. Dean coughs and looks down at his chest. A third whooshing noise and Gracilynn gasps, bolting up into a sitting position on the floor.

"You alright?" Sam asks his brother.

"Define alright," Dean replies. "Gracie?"

"Smalls?" Sam asks the same time Dean does.

"These were my favorite pajama's," she whines, looking down at the blood stains. Dean checks her over, notices Sam doing the same. Dean reaches over and grabs his phone, dialing a number as he stands up.

Cas leans against the motel room divider as the Winchesters pack their bags. He looks lost and without hope.

"Maybe… maybe Joshua was lying," Cas says, earning an identical look from all three Winchesters. Dean zips up his bag and puts his coat on.

"I don't think he was, Cas. I'm sorry," Sam says, sighing. Dean watches Cas as he moves into the entryway. Cas looks up at the ceiling.

"You son of a bitch. I believed in…," he begins angrily, stopping himself. Dean makes a slight move as if to approach him. Cas searches the "sky" for a sign, anything that tells him God is listening. Nothing happens. He turns back to the trio of hunters and looks at Dean. He pulls the amulet from his pocket, holding it for a minute before he speaks.

"I don't need this anymore," he says, tossing it to Dean. Dean shakes it out in order to see what it is Cas threw at him. "It's worthless."

"Cas. Wait," Sam says after Cas turns away from them. There is a sound of wings and Cas disappears. Sam throws his shirt on the bed angrily and Gracilynn stares at the spot Cas was. Dean continues to look at the amulet in his hands.

"We'll find another way. We can still stop all this Dean," Sam says, looking over at his brother, not sure if he's trying to convince Dean or himself.

"How?" Dean says, finally looking up and over at his brother.

"I don't know, but we'll find it. You and me and Gracilynn, we'll find it," Sam responds. Dean looks at him disbelievingly and Sam knows he doesn't believe him. Dean grabs his bag and walks past Sam and Gracilynn without saying a word; doesn't even look at them. He pauses at the door and holds his hand out over the garbage. Gracilynn and Sam watch as the amulet hangs from Dean's hand. Dean pauses for a moment, but eventually drops the necklace into the trash can. He opens the motel room door and leaves for the car. Gracilynn stares at the garbage can, hearing her uncle take in a deep breath. She can hear the pain in his voice even with that simple act. She looks over at him and sees that he looks sad, but he also looks determined. Sam throws his coat on and, grabbing his bag, follows after Dean to the car. Gracilynn grabs her jacket and puts it on. She grabs her bag and walks to the door. She pauses when she reaches it for a moment. She looks out the door, seeing her uncle climb into the Impala off to her left. Her gaze shifts to the trash, taking in the necklace at the bottom of it. She knows it's because her dad has lost faith in God and heaven. But she also can't help but feel it's also because he has lost faith in Uncle Sam. Having been told the story behind the necklace in the beginning when Cas first took it, Gracilynn knows the significance behind her dad's actions. She glances outside at the sound of the horn blowing. She takes a deep breath and quickly reaches in to the can and shoves the necklace in to her pocket before shutting the door behind her. Things were going to better, and this necklace was going to be the key.

Please review!


	22. We Have A Problem

Here's the next chapter!

Gracilynn could cut the tension in the room with a knife. A very sharp Butcher knife considering it was so thick. Things between her dad and uncle had been strained ever since they went to heaven. They only ever talked to each other when they had to and even then half the time it was terse or sarcastic. They treated her the same, still joking around and being civil. Although, her dad looked at her differently. There was a reason she didn't tell him about her mom's late night escapades. They didn't happen until around that certain time of year really but still… She did what she had to do and she kept it to herself. Now that her dad knew it was like he was seeing her; all of her, and she wasn't so sure she liked it.

Gracilynn watched her dad continue to fiddle around on the computer. The shower shuts off and she hears her uncle begin moving around in the bathroom, getting changed. Gracilynn flips through the meager amount of channels the hotel offers making a face at the limited selection.

"We have a problem." Dean jumps hearing the voice right next to him in the silent room. Gracilynn jumps slightly as well, also not expecting the booming voice.

"Cas," Dean warns.

"Sorry," Cas says, taking a step back. "We have a problem."

"Okay," Dean says as the bathroom door opens and out steps Sam, dressed and hair wet. He notices Cas standing in the middle of the room.

"Cas?"

"Abaddon," Cas says.

"What?" the three Winchesters ask, confused at the one word answer.

"He's here on earth. And if we don't stop him many people will die," Cas explains.

"Who's Abaddon?" Dean and Gracilynn ask.

"Wait, Abaddon? As in that guy in the Bible?" Sam asks.

"Yes," Cas says exasperatedly. "He's in Wolverine Lake, Michigan."

"Wait, who is he?" Gracilynn asks.

"Abaddon. He will rise on Judgment Day and will bring forth a devastating rain that will kill men, cattle and flock," Cas says.

"With what?" Dean asks.

"He commands an army of locusts," Cas answers, "Moses called upon him to go after the pharaoh's land."

"Oh," Gracilynn and Dean says.

"Wait, did you say _locusts_?" Gracilynn asks.

"Hey, bugs can be nasty things. Especially when there's a lot of them," Dean says, remembering the housing community that was cursed.

"Okay, so how do we kill him?" Sam asks.

"He is a demon, a very powerful one, but a demon nonetheless," Cas says.

"Awesome," Dean says. "I guess we're going to…"

"Wolverine Lake, Michigan," Cas supplies.

"Right," Dean says, already beginning to pack up his bag.

"So, how do we know where Abaddon is?" Dean asks Cas. They had arrived in Wolverine Lake a couple hours ago and were now settled in to one of the cheap hotels there.

"He doesn't have to take a human body," Cas answers, "He will be himself, just…transformed into human shape."

"Okay," Dean says slowly, sharing a look with Sam. "Do you know where he is?"

"I am not sure," Cas says, "I only know he is here."

"Awesome," Dean replies.

"Are there some kind of signs we should be looking for Cas? Anything that can help us narrow down where he is?" Sam asks, opening up his laptop and firing it up.

"Bugs will be attracted to him. Specifically locusts," Cas replies, "Other than that, we won't know until it has started."

"Again. Awesome," Dean repeats. He rubs a hand through his hair and down his face. "I guess we need to go around town and interview some people. See what we can find out."

"I can't believe Cas just took off," Gracilynn says and she and her dad and uncle climbed out of the Impala.

"Yeah, well, you should be used to it by now," Dean replies, shutting the door. "Sam why don't you head left. Gracie and I'll head right."

"Okay," Sam says, shutting his own door and walking in the direction Dean pointed to.

"Come on," Dean says to Gracilynn as he walks to the right. Gracilynn follows after him.

Dean leads them into a diner and the two of them walk up to the counter. Gracilynn looks around and notices there are only a few people sitting at tables. Most of them were probably already at work. An elderly woman walks up to them from behind the counter and greets them with a warm smile.

"Good morning. How may I help you?" she says. Dean flashes his badge, returning the smile.

"Agent Statham. I just have a few questions for you," Dean replies. The woman looks from Dean to Gracilynn and back to Dean. "Take your kid to work day."

The woman smiles and nods her head in understanding. Dean reads her tag which says her name in Marilyn. Marilyn comes out from behind the counter and leads them over to a corner table and the three of them take a seat.

"I'll try to help in any way I can. May I ask what this is all about?" Marilyn asks.

"We're trying to find someone," Dean replies. "Have there been any new people in town recently?"

"Um…well, there was a couple a few days ago. A man came in to the restaurant yesterday. Said he was just passing through though. And you two of course," Marilyn asks.

"This man, did anything seem…different about him?" Dean asks.

"Different how?" Marilynn replies with a question of her own.

"Anything that stands out," Dean answers.

"Well, he was big. Very muscular. And…" Marilyn begins.

"And what?" Dean prods.

"His eyes seemed…cold," Marilyn continues, "Like he had no emotion."

"Do you happen to know where he is staying?" Dean asks.

"I think he mentioned he was staying at the Brickstone Hotel down the street," Marilyn responds.

"Thank you. You've been a great help," Dean replies, standing up. Gracilynn stands up herself.

"Agent Statham," Marilyn calls. Dean turns around to face her.

"This man isn't dangerous is he?" Marilyn asks, worried.

"We're not sure yet," Dean lies, pretty sure this guy was exactly who they are looking for. Marilyn nods her head and Dean and Gracilynn exit the building. "Call your uncle, see what he's found out."

Gracilynn pulls out her phone and hits her uncle's speed dial.

Sam had walked in to the first building that wasn't offices, which just so happened to be a hotel. Entering the foyer, he looks around. It was nicer than the hotels they usually stayed at but it wasn't no five star one either. Sam sees the reception desk to his left and walks over to it. The man behind it smiled at him.

"Can I help you sir?" he asks.

"Uh…yes," Sam says, flashing his FBI badge. "Agent Stallone. I have a few questions for you."

"Certainly," the man says, eyeing the people around him nervously. "Let's take this in the back room."

The desk clerk steps from behind the counter and leads Sam into the room behind the counter, taking a seat at the table in the middle of the room. Sam sits down across from him. Sam glances at the man's tag.

"Seth, have you noticed anyone new in town?" Sam asks. Seth raises his eyebrows and gestures around them.

"Well, I work in a hotel," he says.

"Of course, I mean, you probly have your regulars right?" Sam asks.

"Well, yes, some of them," Seth replies.

"Have you seen anyone new in town within the past few days? Maybe acting a little strange? Giving you a bad vibe? Anything?" Sam continues.

"No, nothing like that," Seth replies.

"You're sure?" Sam asks. Seth thinks for a moment before his eyes widen.

"Wait, there was this one guy. He looks normal, I mean besides being ripped. But, he just seemed off. His eyes seemed weird too," Seth says.

"Weird how?" Sam asks.

"I don't know. Almost like, there was nothing there? I mean, mentally he was there but there was no feeling. Everything was straight and to the point. He was pretty intimidating. He set quite a few people on edge," Seth replies.

"What did he look like?" Sam asks.

"Well, like I said, the guy was ripped. He had black hair, really dark brown eyes. He was white too," Seth says, describing the guy. Sam nods his head.

"Thank you for your time," Sam says, standing up and shaking Seth's hand. As he makes his way out of the hotel, his phone begins to ring. He pulls it out of his pocket and puts it to his ear, answering it. "Hello."

"_Hey Uncle Sam. Dad wanted me to give you a call. See if you came up with anything_," Gracilynn says over the phone.

"I think I did find something. Talked to one of the guys in a hotel and he says there is a guy who came in to town within the past couple days. Big guys, decked out in muscles, put everyone on edge. Also said the guys eyes had no emotion in them," Sam says.

"_Sounds like the same thing we came up with_," Dean voice is heard through the speaker. Sam figured Gracilynn put him on speaker. "_We talked to a lady at the diner down the street. Described the same kind of guy. Said she thought he was staying at the Brickstone Hotel?_"

Sam turns around and takes a look at the hotel behind him. He finds the name halfway up the building, reading it before answering his brothers question.

"Yeah, that's the hotel I was just in," he replies.

"_All right. Let's meet back at the Impala. We'll head back to the room and get everything we need and come up with a plan_," Dean says.

"Sounds good," Sam says, hanging up his phone and beginning his walk back to the Impala.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	23. Seriously? That's Your Plan?

Figured I would update one more chapter today seeing as how I have the next few chapters ready. Hope ya'll like it!

"Seriously? _That's_ your plan?" Gracilynn asks sarcastically, earning a sheepish smile for her dad and uncle. "You're gonna walk in to the hotel, flash your badges and ask for his room number and then march up there and take him out?"

"Well, we'll sneak up there," Dean says.

"Besides the simpler the plan the easier it'll go," Sam says.

"Yeah, cause that always happens. Especially with demons," Gracilynn says sarcastically.

"Gracilynn," Dean warns.

"Fine," Gracilynn says sulkily, "When do we leave?"

"Ha-ha, that's funny," Dean says, chuckling. "You're staying here."

"What?! Why?!" Gracilynn asks, "I can handle this."

"I don't need you getting hurt," Dean says.

"You always say that and I always end up coming and I never get hurt," Gracilynn argues, earning a look from both her dad and uncle. "Okay, so I _usually_ don't get hurt."

"You're not coming," Dean says firmly.

"This is so not…" Gracilynn begins to rant, but stops having heard something. Dean looks over at her to see why she stopped abruptly. Gracilynn's looking towards the window and door.

"What?" Dean asks. He and Sam look in the same direction for any sign of danger. That's when they hear it; a hum growing louder. Gracilynn pulls back the curtain and looks outside.

"Ah, dad," she says worriedly. Dean quickly strides over and peers out the window. There is a huge black cloud in the sky. Sam comes and joins them just as they see the cloud dive to the ground and disappear.

"Dean, it's starting," Sam says with a tinge of fear.

"Change of plans. Gracie, you're coming with us," Dean says, grabbing the bag and ushering his family outside and into the Impala. He starts the car and squeals out of the parking lot and down the street.

Dean pulls in to the hotel parking lot and parks the car, looking around and in the sky. Not seeing anything, he opens the door. Sam grabs the bag out from the back seat while Gracilynn climbs out and shuts the door behind her.

"You stay right next to me ya hear?" Dean says to Gracilynn.

"Yeah," she replies as the three of them make their way to the front doors. They hear a loud hum and they all stop looking up into the sky. The black cloud rises in to the sky again and starts for the center of town. They hear another hum from behind them and they turn and look to see an identical cloud coming from that direction. "Dad?"

Dean looks over at his daughter and sees her pointing to their right and he looks. There is a third cloud coming from that direction. Feeling a tug on his coat, Dean turns to look at his brother who nods to their left.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean says seeing yet another big cloud. "Get inside. Now."

The three of them book into the hotel, shutting the doors behind them. Sam runs to the desk and pulls out his badge, flashing it at the woman behind it. She looks taken aback at his haste and stutters out a hello.

"Seth, where is he?" Sam abruptly says.

"He…he's in the…the b…back," she stutters out, seeing Dean and Gracilynn rush up behind him.

"Get him. Now," Sam demands. The woman hastily runs into the back room and within a few seconds Seth comes out to the desk, seeing Sam.

"Agent Stallone," Seth says in greeting.

"That guy you were telling me about. What room is he in?" Sam asks quickly. Seth's eyes widen but he types a few buttons in to the computer nonetheless.

"Uh…he's in room 313," Seth replies.

"Thank you," Sam hastily says as he and Dean and Gracilynn rush towards the elevators. Seth watches them run off, ignoring the woman's questions next to him. He turns to the door when he hears a loud humming sound.

"What the…" he mutters.

"Oh my God!" a woman screams, running from the window. Seth scrunches his eyebrows and races to the window where the room was. He looks outside, his jaw dropping and eyes opening wide. Outside, there is a mass swarm of…insects. Just one to be exact, which one he wasn't too sure. And if that didn't creep him out what they were doing definitely did. They were swarming around the people running all over; Covering them from head to toe. And not just people but animals as well. Seth watches as a swarm dissipates from what he can only imagine to be a human.

"Oh my God," Seth whispers. The only thing left of the person was a bloody carcass. He slowly backs away from the window and turns when he hears a scream. The woman behind the desk saw the same thing he did. "We need to make sure all the doors are locked closed. The windows too. Any hole of any sort needs to be closed somehow. We can't let these things get in here. Move people! Now!"

Instantly, hotel workers and guests alike start running around, making sure doors and windows are locked shut. They grab anything that can be used to close out vents and holes alike. Seth didn't know how, but something told him the guy those agents were after had something to do with this.

Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn race through the elevator, stopping in the hallway. They look around them, trying to figure out which direction they needed to go. Sam notices a sign to his left.

"Dean, this way," Sam says. Dean and Gracilynn look towards Sam, seeing him begin down the hall to their left. They run down the hall and around the corner. They slow down as they near the end of the hall, noticing the numbers getting closer to 313. Dean maneuvers Gracilynn behind him and the three of them sneak up to the door. Dean puts an ear to the door and hears muttering coming from inside. He catches Sam's eye and sends him a couple hand signals. Sam nods his head in understanding. Dean's gaze shifts to behind Sam, noticing an elevator behind him. He whistles slightly to get Sam's attention. Sam's head turns to him and Dean nods his head over to the elevator. Sam turns and looks, eyes scrunching up in confusion. He turns back to Dean who has nonchalantly jerked his head at Gracilynn. Sam understands exactly what Dean's planning. He takes out his phone and dials Seth's number, he had gotten from him earlier.

"Seth, hey," Sam says quietly. "Listen we need you to shut down the elevators on our say. Gracilynn looks over at her uncle, curious as to why they have to shut down the elevators. Sam waits for a minute and Dean begins to get impatient. "You're there? Good."

Sam nods his head at Dean. Gracilynn is even more confused at the secrecy. Before she can try to figure any of it out though, her dad has picked her up and set her in the open elevator. She notices her uncle by the buttons.

"Yeah do it now," Sam says into the phone. Dean leaps out of the elevator and Gracilynn charges after him but the doors shut and the elevator shuts down. "Yeah, thanks Seth."

Sam puts his phone away and meets Dean at the door to 313. He pulls out his gun and matches Dean stance on the other side of the door. Dean puts the card they received from Seth into the door and pulls it out. Dean looks at his brother, holding up three fingers. Then two. Then one. Dean opens the door and the two of them swiftly, but quietly enter the room. In the middle of the room and a large man that looks as if he had started weight training at the age of seven. A slow smile spreads on his face and his head slowly lifts up and looks over at Dean and Sam.

"Dean and Sam. It's about time you two joined me," Abaddon says.

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	24. Seriously? That's Your Plan? Part 2

Here's the next chapter!

Gracilynn looks up just in time to see her dad bolt out of the elevator. She tries to run after him, but the doors shut, effectively locking her in. Gracilynn pushes the 'doors open' button multiple time, trying to get it open, but to no avail.

"Arg!" Gracilynn yells in frustration. "Dad!"

She doesn't hear anything on the other side of the elevator doors. _I'm gonna kick his ass when I get outta here_. Gracilynn tries to pry the door open, but ends up pinching her fingers. Out of frustration she kicks the door successfully stubbing her toe.

"Son of a Bitch!" Gracilynn yells. She is breathing heavy in anger as she looks around the elevator trying to find some way out. She spots the emergency escape hatch at the top of the elevator and a sly grin slowly spreads across her face. She takes in her surroundings and comes up with a hasty plan.

She places one of her feet on the bar around the elevator. Using that foot and a hand, she shoves herself up and quickly reaches for the top of the elevator. Unfortunately, she didn't get enough momentum and she misses the top ledge. She falls off the bar and stumbles backwards, catching her balance quickly.

"Okay, so that's not gonna work," Gracilynn says. "How the hell do they always get up there in the movies? Oh yeah, they always have another person to hoist them up."

Gracilynn stares at the bar, then the ledge, and then the emergency panel. Her eyes light up as she come up with yet another hasty plan. She backs up to the far side off the elevator and eyes the bar and ledge one last time. She propels herself off the wall and just as she's about to run into the wall she launches herself off the floor and at the bar. She feels her foot catch the bar and she reaches for the ledge only to already be falling back to the floor. She lands on her feet and falls into the elevator doors.

"Dammit!"

Dean and Sam's eyes grow big in surprise. _How the hell did he know who they were?_ Abaddon's smile grows and suddenly Dean and Sam find themselves slammed into the wall behind them. They have dropped their guns and the wind is practically knocked out of them. Abaddon stands up from his chair and smirks wickedly at them,s lowly making his way towards them.

"Let me guess. You boys thought you could _sneak_ in here and kill me," Abaddon says sarcastically. "That's almost as impossible as stopping the Apocalypse. Of course, you two are known for trying the impossible aren't you?"

"What can I say, we're overachievers," Dean says sarcastically. Abaddon snorts.

"You are many things Dean Winchester, but an over achiever? That's more Sammy's thing isn't it?"

"He tends to rub off on you," Dean supplies, smirking, trying and failing to break free of the invisible bond.

"Speaking of rubbing off on someone, where's that spitfire of a daughter of yours?" Abaddon asks Dean. Dean's smirk turns to a scowl. Abaddon grins.

"Why here?" Sam asks, trying to keep Abaddon talking. Abaddon turns his attention to Sam.

"I have a job to do. Judgment Day is coming," Abaddon says.

"Sorry to bust your bubble pal, but you really shouldn't be judging anyone. I mean, _bugs_? Really?" Dean says. Abaddon glares at Dean.

"You won't be scoffing when they eat you from the inside out the same time they eat you from the outside in," Abaddon seethes. There is a sound and Abaddon swivels around, coming face to face with Cas. "Castiel."

Cas puts a hand on Abaddon's forehead. Abaddon's eyes begins to glow and he lets out a yell. Dean and Sam fall from the wall, landing on their hands and knees. Dean looks up to see Cas beginning to falter. He looks around and quickly grabs the demon knife, stabbing Abaddon in the neck. There is a bright light and Abaddon falls to the floor in a heap. Dean wrenches the knife from Abaddons neck and looks up at Cas.

"Cas you all right?" Dean asks.

"I am more drained than I thought," Cas responds. Dean looks back at Sam, seeing him rise to his feet.

"Sam?" Dean asks.

"I'm good," Sam replies. Dean begins gathering their weapons, Sam following suit. Cas looks around the room, perplexed.

"What?" Dean asks. Cas looks over at him.

"Where is Gracilynn? I thought she was here with you?" Cas asks.

"Uh…yeah, we kinda locked her in one of the elevators," Dean replies. Cas looks confused. "To keep her safe Cas."

"Speaking of Gracilynn…" Sam says, looking over at Dean, who nods.

"Yeah…she's gonna be pissed to all hell at us," Dean finishes. "Let's go get her before she decides exactly how she wants to kick our ass."

Gracilynn falls to the floor, barely landing on her feet before falling backwards and landing on her butt. She lets out a frustrated growl and glares up at the bar and ledge. She climbs to her feet and backs up to the other side of the elevator, scowl never leaving her face. She takes a deep breath before sprinting towards the wall and launching herself up once again. This time, when her foot hits the bar she pushes off it giving her the extra boost to reach the ledge. She grips onto it, forcing herself to stay balanced on the bar in the corner of the elevator. She begins to inch her way towards the center of the elevator. Once there, she balancing one foot on the bar and the other on the wall behind her. One hand grips the ledge while the other shoves the emergency panel up and off to the side.

"You know if I was Uncle Sammy's height this would be a piece of cake," Gracilynn grumbles, grabbing the ledge of the emergency panel and hoisting herself up through the hole. She scoots her body over the top of the elevator and rolls over, taking a deep breath, staring up at the ropes above her. She rolls over to her stomach and pushes herself up onto her feet, looking around. "Okay genius, now what are you gonna do?"

There is a sound and suddenly Gracilynn hears the elevator doors open below her with a ding. She sighs in frustration, rolling her eyes. She looks down through the hole and sees her dad and uncle walk in, spinning in a circle.

"Dude, where the hell is she?" Dean asks.

"I…I don't know," Sam replies.

"It was this elevator right?" Dean asks.

"Yeah," Sam says. Dean sighs in frustration, sounding just as Gracilynn did moments before. Halting Dean looks around and catches his brothers' eye. "What?"

Dean smirks to himself so only Sam can see. Sam gives him a confused look. Dean tips his head back and looks above him, seeing the open emergency hatch. Gracilynn looks down at him, seeing Sam step next to his brother and looking up himself. Gracilynn waves sheepishly down at them.

"Hey guys," she says, her smile matching her wave.

"Really? The escape hatch?" Dean asks. Gracilynn shrugs. Dean waves at her and Gracilynn sits down on the top of the elevator, her feet dangling down into the car. Dean reaches up, meeting her as Gracilynn slides down. Grabbing her at her waste, Dean sets her down on the floor of the elevator. "How the hell'd you get up there? More importantly, what the hell were you gonna do once you got up there?"

"Well, I ran from over there and jumped up there," Gracilynn says, pointing to the designated spots. "Then I went to the middle and opened the hatch and climbed up."

"Oh…of course," Dean says sarcastically.

"Hey, I did what I could. Sorry I'm not Captain Sasquatch," Gracilynn says just as sarcastically. Sam sends her a bitch face and Dean rolls his eyes.

"And…?" Dean asks.

"And what?" Gracilynn replies.

"What were you gonna do once you got up there?" Dean replies as Sam pushes the first floor button and the doors close.

"I hadn't thought of that yet," Gracilynn mumbles.

"Seriously? _That's_ your plan?" Dean replies, echoing Gracilynn earlier words back at her, causing her to send him her own bitch face.

"How d'you guys get outta there safely anyways?" Gracilynn asks.

"Cas showed up," Dean replies. Gracilynn's eyebrows raise and she looks around.

"Where is he?" she asks.

"I don't know. Said something about having to deal with another problem," Dean replies as the elevator doors open and the three of them walk out.

They make their way down the hall and into the lobby. The place is destroyed. Tables and chairs are tipped over. Towels, washcloths, and whatever else are shoved into the bottoms of the doors and windows and any other places there might be holes. Guests and hotel workers are slowly coming out from behind counters and other furniture looking around trying to figure out what has just happened. A hotel worker comes quickly up to them.

"Agents," Seth says breathlessly.

"Seth, thanks for the elevator thing," Dean replies, not having been able to say so earlier for Sam was the one who talked to him.

"No problem," Seth says, having just come back from turning the elevators back on per Sam's request. Seth looks at the two men in front of him. "You aren't agents are you?"

Dean and Sam looks at each other. Gracilynn snorts behind them and Dean swats at her behind his back. Dean looks at Seth who truthfully wants the answer.

"No we're not," Sam says.

"Who are you guys?" Seth asks.

"People who deal with this kind of stuff," Dean responds. Seth nods his head, not sure if he really wants to know any more. Seth's name is called and he excuses himself, making his way over to a group of guest and a female worker.

"Let's get the hell outta here," Dean says exhaustively. Sam grunts in response and the three of them exit the building, the bright sun shining on their faces.

"At least if you don't look below the roof tops, the sight won't make you gag," Gracilynn replies, having quickly noticed the corpses on the ground.

"And the smell?" Sam asks.

"Well…we could get rid of it if you took off your shoes," Gracilynn says with a smirk.

"I think the rotting corpses are safer," Dean replies with his own smirk, both of them earning Sam patented bitch face.

Please review and let me know what ya'll thought! I love hearing what you guys have to say!


	25. But I Brought Help

Was planning on updating yesterday and I just got so busy didn't get a chance to do so. So, now I'm updating two chapter for ya guys! Enjoy!

Gracilynn follows after her dad and uncle up the stairs. Each one taking the weight of a friend, Cas and Pastor Gideon. She watches them as they climb the stairs, thinking about everything that had happened. It had only been a few days since they ganked Abaddon but the road to where they were headed to next was covered with demons. They ended up in this town where this girl named Leah was supposedly a prophet. That's when Cas appeared, pretty tanked, and started going on about how she was a whore. Gracilynn smirks at this. She wasn't a whore in the present day sense but one…she was known as the Whore of Babylon and she bore false prophesy. Supposedly, she could only be killed by a servant of heaven, but her _her _dad was the one who killed her. She trips over the stair in front of her and she pulls herself out of her reverie.

"Dean, how did you do that?" Gracilynn hears her uncle ask.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Kill her," Sam replies.

"Long run of luck held out, I guess," Dean replies off-handedly as they enter the sanctuary.

"Last I checked, she could only be ganked by a servant of Heaven," Sam points out. Gracilynn looks over at her dad to see his reaction. She had been thinking the same thing.

"Well, what do you want me to tell you? I saw a shot. I went for it," Dean replies testily as they walk outside and towards the Impala. Gracilynn quickly opens both of the back doors for her dad and uncle and Dean and Sam help Castiel and Pastor Gideon into the Impala.

"Alright, here we go," Dean says, helping Cas into the car.

"Watch your head now," Sam says, helping the pastor into the other side of the car, shutting the door behind him. Sam turns to Dean.

"Are you gonna do something stupid?" he asks him.

"Like what?" Dean asks, Gracilynn stands next to her uncle. She hopes he's not onto something but deep down she thinks he is.

"Like Michael stupid?" Sam pushes.

"Come on Sam. Give me a break," Dean replies impatiently, climbing into the front seat of the car. Gracilynn looks up at her uncle who is staring at the spot Dean was just at.

"You don't think…" Gracilynn begins.

"Come on Smalls, let's go," Sam says, opening the front door and gesturing for Gracilynn to climb in to the middle. Gracilynn sighs but climbs in anyways. That nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach was starting to grow and she hated it. Something bad always happened when she got it.

"How's the head?" Dean asks Pastor Gideon, who is sitting in one of the hotel chairs.

"I'm seeing double. But that may be the painkillers," Gideon replies.

"You'll be okay," Dean assures.

"No," the pastor replies and Gracilynn can see he's thinking of his daughter, Leah.

"Where are you going?" Sam asks when he sees Dean grab the Impala's keys and his coat.

"I'm just gonna grab some clean bandages out of the trunk. Relax," Dean replies irritated. Gracilynn narrows her eyes as her dad walks out the door. She quickly runs after him, hearing her uncle call after her.

Dean hears footsteps hurriedly catching up to him and he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. He knows exactly who it is. He turns around and sees his daughter stop in front of him. Gracilynn watches him for a minute. Dean decides he might as well go along with the ruse and heads to the Impala's trunk. Gracilynn watches him walk to the trunk and then follows after him, stopping at his side.

"You okay dad?" she asks.

"I'm fine," Dean replies, pulling out some bandages and handing them to her. Gracilynn reflexively grabs them and hangs on to them. Gracilynn stares at him and Dean sighs. He looks over at her and watches her for a moment. "You know that no matter what happens I've got your back right?"

"Yeah, dad. I know that," Gracilynn says, confused at the emotion in her dad's eyes.

"No matter what happens, I'm gonna make sure you're safe. Nothing bad's gonna happen to you. I'm gonna make sure of that," Dean continues. Gracilynn scrunches her eyebrows.

"Dad?" Gracilynn asks, starting to get scared.

"Come here," Dean says, pulling her into a hug. Gracilynn hugs him back, her heart pounding in her chest. She feels her dad kiss the top of her head before he pulls back. "You take those inside, I'll grab the other stuff."

"Um…o…okay," Gracilynn says, hesitantly walking back towards the hotel room. She hears the trunk shut and she sucks in a deep breath, her hand on the door handle.

"I'm coming, head inside," she hears her dad say. Gracilynn opens the door and heads inside, shutting it behind her, dread filling within her.

"Be careful," Dean whispers before climbing into the front seat of the Impala. He starts the car up and revs the engine. Gracilynn and Sam whip their heads around at the sound of the engine and the two of them run out into the parking lot, seeing the Impala speed off.

"Dammit! Dean! Dean!" Sam yells.

"Dad!" Gracilynn yells at the same time.

Gracilynn, Cas and Sam sit in the Chevy they "borrowed". They stare at the motel room they know Dean is in. As soon as Gracilynn told him what Dean had said, Sam put two and two together and knew right where Dean was heading to next. Sam sighs and looks over at his niece; Gracilynn continues to stare at the door of the motel room. Sam knew she was freaked out, but she wasn't talking too much. Deciding it was better if he went in by himself first he opens the door and looks back at his niece.

"Stay in here. We're gonna go in and talk to him first," Sam says, watching Gracilynn, seeing the slightest nod of understanding come from her. Sam purses his lips but doesn't say anything. He climbs out of the car and shuts the door behind him, beginning the walk to the door. Cas disappears from the back seat. Gracilynn watches as her uncle scours the parking lot before quickly picking the lock and entering the room.

Sam walks in to the room, noticing his brother standing in front of a box taped shut. He looks lost and broken. Sam takes a deep breath before announcing his arrival, unnerved that his brother hasn't noticed he is here yet.

"Sending someone a candy-gram?" Sam asks.

"How'd you find me?" Dean asks, without looking up.

"You're going to kill yourself, right? It's not too hard to figure out the stops on the Farewell Tour. You already talked to Gracilynn. How's Lisa doing, anyways?" Sam answers.

"I'm not going to kill myself," Dean says, finally looking up at his brother.

"No? So Michael's _not_ about to make you his Muppet? What the hell, man? This is how it ends? You just…walk out?" Sam asks, starting to get a little angry.

"Yeah, I guess," Dean says, looking away from Sam.

"How could you do that?" Sam asks, hurt in his voice.

"How could _I_? All you've _ever_ done is run away," Dean says angrily, turning to face his brother, staring him in the eyes.

"And I was wrong. Every single time I did. Besides, what the hell am I gonna tell Gracilynn? You're scaring the crap outta her man," Sam counters.

"Tell her, her dad went out with a bang," Dean says, his attempt at humor lost in the truth of the statement. Sam ignores it.

"Just…please. Not now. Bobby is working on something," Sam pleads.

"Oh, really? What?" Dean asks, receiving no reply from him. "You got nothing and you know it."

"You know I have to stop you," Sam states bluntly.

"Yeah, well, you can try. Just remember: You're not all hopped up on demon blood this time," Dean challenges.

"Yeah, I know. But I brought help," Sam says. Dean turns around to see Cas behind him. Cas puts two fingers to Dean's forehead and effectively knocks him out.

Please review and let me know what you think!


	26. Well, I Hate This Territory

Here's the next chapter!

"Yeah, no, this is good. Really. You know, eight months of turned pages and screwed pooches but tonight, tonight's when the magic happens," Dean says sarcastically. They had arrived back at Bobby's a few hours ago and Dean had woken up a couple hours after that. Sam and Cas are standing off on the side while Bobby is sitting over by his desk, Dean in the middle of the room.

"You ain't helpin'," Bobby replies, eyeing Gracilynn sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, well, why don't you let me get out of your hair, then?" Dean angrily replies.

"What the hell happened to you?" Bobby asks.

"Reality happened. Nuclear's the only option we have left. Michael can ice the devil, save a boatload of people," Dean replies.

"But not _all_ of them. We gotta think of something else," Bobby urges.

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say. But if Lucifer burns this mother down, and I coulda done something about it, guess what? That's on me," Dean says, his anger coming back.

"You can't give up, son," Bobby says, noticing the change in Gracilynn out of the corner of his eye.

"You're not my father. And you ain't in my shoes," Dean says icily.

"No, but _you are mine_. Not that that means anything to you right now. By all means, frickin' commit suicide. It's not like you have anything to live for here," Gracilynn shouts just as icily, standing up. Dean is taken aback. He doesn't have time to say anything back though, because Gracilynn shoves past him and out the back door. Bobby sighs. He pulls a gun out of his desk and sets it on the table. He pulls a bullet out of his pocket and looks at it. Dean moves his attention from the archway his daughter disappeared through back to Bobby.

"What is that?" Dean asks.

"That's the round that I mean to put through my skull," Bobby says, putting the bullet on the desk in front of him. "Every morning, I look at it. I think, 'Maybe today's the day I flip the lights out.' But I don't do it. I _never_ do it. You know why? Because I promised _you_ I wouldn't give up!"

Suddenly, Cas grasps his head and hunches over in pain. Sam grabs him and tries to see if he's okay.

"Cas, you okay?" Sam asks, worried.

"No," Cas states.

"What's wrong?" Sam asks, knowing this isn't good.

"Something's happening," Cas announces.

"Where?" Dean asks. Cas disappears in a fit of wind that throws papers around the room. "Dammit."

Dean walks over to the fridge where Sam is standing. Sam doesn't move.

"I'm gonna get a beer, do you mind?" Dean says tersely.

"I'm gonna go get Gracilynn," Sam says, moving out of the way and out to the back door.

Sam walks out the back door and sees he doesn't have to go too far, seeing Gracilynn sitting on the bottom step. Sam sighs and descends the stairs, sitting on the bottom step next to her. Gracilynn doesn't look up from fiddling with her hands, knowing already it's her uncle.

"Something happened. You should probly come back inside," Sam says, looking out over the backyard. Gracilynn just shrugs her shoulders. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Nothing," Gracilynn replies, looking out of the backyard herself.

"Yeah, because that little outburst in there was nothing," Sam points out. Gracilynn sighs.

"It sucks ya know? This whole thing sucks. No matter what happens or what we do, someone's gonna get hurt," Gracilynn says.

"I know Smalls," Sam says empathetically. "Unfortunately it comes with the territory."

"Well, I hate this territory," Gracilynn says.

"Yeah…me too," Sam says, wrapping an arm around Gracilynn and giving her a tight squeeze. "Come on, let's head back inside and figure out what's going on."

Sam and Gracilynn re-enter the house and begin heading towards the kitchen. They hear a loud 'whooshing' noise coming from the study. Sam and Gracilynn look at each other, knowing it's probably Cas.

"Boys!" Bobby yells. Sam and Gracilynn run into the study Dean having arrived just before them. Cas lies a young man down on the couch. Gracilynn's eyes grow big, recognizing who it is. "Who is it?"

"That's our brother," Sam states.

"Wait a minute. Your brother? Adam?" Bobby asks, slightly confused.

"Cas, what the hell?" Dean asks, just as confused as Bobby with why Adam was lying on the couch in front of them.

"Angels," Castiel puts simply.

"Angels? Why?" Sam asks.

"I know one thing for sure. We need to hide him now," Cas says, putting his hand on Adam's chest and brands him with the Enochian symbols to hide him from the angels. Adam wakes up from the pain of it.

"Where am I?" Adam asks, looking around the room, taking in the group of four men and girl.

"It's okay. Just relax, you're safe," Sam says, trying to calm him down.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam asks, giving Sam a look.

"You're going to find this a little...a lot crazy, but we're actually your brothers," Dean replies.

"It's the truth. John Winchester was our father, too. See, I'm Sam…" Sam begins, only to be cut off by Adam.

"Yeah, and I'm sure that's Dean. I know who you are," Adam says.

"How?" Sam asks.

"They warned me about you," Adam answers.

"Who did?" Dean asks.

"The angels. Now where the hell is Zachariah?" Adam says, starting to get annoyed. Gracilynn scoffs.

"Yeah, cause you're definitely better off with that junkless d-bag," Gracilynn says scornfully. Adam's attention turns to her and he gives her a look.

"And you are?" he asks.

"His daughter," Gracilynn says, nodding to Dean, "So I guess that makes me your niece."

"So why don't you just tell us everything? Start from the beginning," Dean says, changing the subject.

"Well, I was dead and in Heaven. 'Cept it…it uh, kinda looked like my prom and I was making out with this girl, her name was Kristin McGee…" Adam begins.

"Yeah, that sounds like heaven. Did you get to third base?" Dean asks with a sly smirk. Gracilynn rolls her eyes matching Sam's look he gives his brother.

"Just uh, just keep going," Sam says, trying to keep Adam on track.

"Well, these…these angels, they popped out of nowhere, and they tell me that I…I'm chosen," Adam says, continuing.

"For what?" Sam asks.

"To save the world," Adam answers.

"How you gonna do that?" Dean asks, all but sarcastically.

"Oh, me and some archangel are going to kill the devil," Adam says cockily earning a put off expression from Gracilynn.

"What archangel?" Dean asks.

"Michael. I'm his uh, sword or vessel or something, I don't know," Adam responds.

"Well, that's insane," Dean replies.

"Not necessarily," Castiel puts in.

"How do you mean?" Dean asks.

"Maybe they're moving on from you, Dean," Castiel offers.

"So what? The first string quarterback goes on strike for the Super Bowl so instead they play the second string guy? How does that work?" Gracilynn asks. Castiel gives her a confused look.

"Well that doesn't make sense," Dean says.

"He is John Winchester's bloodline, Sam's brother. It's not perfect, but it's possible," Castiel says.

"Well you gotta be kidding me," Dean says exhaustedly.

"Why would they do this?" Sam says.

"Maybe they're desperate. Maybe they _wrongly_ assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them," Cas supplies.

"Alright, you know what? Blow me, Cas," Dean says defensively.

"I'm pretty sure standing up to angels that can turn you to freakin' dust is more brave that being their bitch Cas," Gracilynn pipes up.

"Look, no way. After everything that's happened? All that crap about destiny? Suddenly the angels have a Plan B? Does that smell right to anybody?" Sam asks, trying to think all of this through.

"You know this has been a _really_ moving family reunion, but uh, I got a thing, so…" Adam says, standing up as if he's going to leave.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no. Sit down. Just listen, okay? Please," Sam says, stopping him before he makes a move to the door.

"It's unbelievable," Adam says, annoyed.

"Now, Adam…the angels are _lying_ to you. They're full of crap," Sam says, trying to make Adam see the truth.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Adam says.

"Really. Why not?" Sam asks.

"Um, 'cause they're _angels_," Adam says as if it's obvious.

"They tell you they were gonna roast half the planet?" Sam asks.

"They said the fight might get pretty hairy, but it is the devil, right? So we got to stop him," Adam counters.

"Yeah, but there's another way," Sam says.

"Great. What is it?" Adam asks.

"We're working on 'the power of love'," Dean answers.

"How's that going?" Adam asks sarcastically.

"Mmm. Not good," Dean replies.

"Look, Adam…You don't know me from a hole in the wall, I know. But I'm begging you. Please, just trust me. Give me some time," Sam pleads.

"Give me one good reason," Adam challenges.

"Because we're blood," Sam counters.

"You've got no right to say that to me," Adam says, his gaze hardening.

"You're still John's boy," Bobby steps in, trying to help out.

"No, John Winchester was some guy who took me to a baseball game once a year. I don't have a dad. So we may be blood, but we are not family. My mom is my family. And if I do my job, I get to see her again. So no offense, but she's the one I give a rat's ass about, not you," Adam says.

"Fair enough. But if you have one good memory of dad, just one, then you'll give us a little more time. Please," Sam tries.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	27. You Sound Just Like Dad

Here's the next chapter! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Hope your Christmas is going awesome!

Adam is sitting at the table playing with his half-eaten sandwich. He looks over and sees Bobby turn around in his chair. Adam looks towards the door in the kitchen, standing up to make an escape attempt. Sam and Gracilynn appear behind him.

"Going somewhere?" Sam asks.

"Out for a…beer," Adam says. Gracilynn snorts, raising an eyebrow.

"Great. We got beer. Have a seat," Sam says, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a beer.

"Great. You know, you pitched this whole dewy-eyed bromance thing, but the truth is, I'm on lockdown, aren't I?" Adam accuses.

"Adam, you may not believe it, but dad was trying to protect you. Keeping you from all of this," Sam says, trying to explain.

"Yeah well, I guess the monster that ate me didn't get that memo," Adam says sarcastically.

"You remember that?" Sam asks.

"Oh yeah," Adam replies.

"Still, trust me. The one thing worse than seeing dad once a year was seeing him _all_ year," Sam says.

"Do you know how full of crap you are?" Adam asks accusatorily.

"What?" Sam asks taken aback.

"Really. You see, it was me and it was my mom. That's it. She worked the graveyard shift at the hospital. I cooked my own dinners. I put myself to bed. So you can say whatever you want about our dad, but the truth is, I would have taken anything," Adam says. Sam bites the inside of his cheek, watching Adam for a moment. His gaze shifts to Gracilynn leaning up against the archway into the kitchen, looking empathetic. Adam and Gracilynn are a lot alike in that aspect, Sam thinks to himself. He shifts his gaze back to Adam, nodding his head a little.

"Alright?" Adam asks.

"Look, if we had known we had a brother…" Sam starts, Adam cutting him off.

"Well, you didn't, so…"

"…We would have found you," Sam finishes. Adam shakes his head, scoffing.

"Look, I can't change the past. I wish I could. But from here on out…" Sam begins.

"What? We gonna hop in the family truckster? Pop on down to Wally World?" Adam asks sarcastically.

"You're an ass," Gracilynn says, staring coldly at Adam, who turns to look at her. "I think it's funny how you feel the need to treat Dad and Uncle Sam like crap."

"What are you? Fourteen?" Adam asks.

"Sixteen. And I've seen a hell of a lot more than you have in your, what? Twenty years? " Gracilynn says.

"_They're_ holding me prisoner," Adam says.

"_They_ hauled ass and drove to _your_ home town to make sure you were okay. _They_ did everything they could to save _you_ and your _mom_. It ain't their fault they found out too late. The least you can do is be civil," Gracilynn scolds, pushing off from the wall and walking over to help Bobby. Sam's gaze moves from Gracilynn to Adam.

"Tell you one thing, with an attitude like that, you would have fit right in around here," Sam says.

"How ya holdin' up kid?" Bobby asks Gracilynn in the study. Gracilynn looks up from her hands. She shrugs.

"I feel like I'm stuck back in last year. Only this time it's dad in the damn panic room and not Uncle Sam," Gracilynn says truthfully. Bobby nods, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You don't think dad'll do it do ya Uncle Bobby?"

Bobby sighs, not sure what to tell her. He looks off towards the kitchen, thinking about what to say.

"Uncle Bobby?" Gracilynn asks.

"I don't know kid," Bobby says truthfully, deciding that was the best course of option. They here a noise and they look up to see Sam walk in from downstairs in the basement. "How's he doing?"

Sam shrugs and scoffs at the question.

"How _you_ doing?" Bobby asks. Sam just nods slightly.

Cas had gone downstairs to check on Dean. Bobby, Sam, and Gracilynn are all sitting in the study. Gracilynn is watching the doorway, waiting for Cas to come back. She sighs and looks over at her uncle.

"Something's wrong. Cas should've been back by now," Gracilynn says.

"Yeah," Sam says, standing up. "Stay here, I'll go check on them."

Sam walks out of the room and Gracilynn hears him open the basement door and descend down the stairs. Gracilynn and Bobby wait impatiently for Sam to come back up. They don't have to wait too long because five minutes later Sam comes hurrying into the study.

"Where's Cas?" Bobby asks.

"Blown to Oz," Sam answers. "Look, I'll get Dean. He couldn't have gone too far."

"I'm coming with you," Gracilynn says, standing up and leading the way out the door.

"Just watch Adam," Sam says to Bobby, following his niece.

"How? You may have noticed, he's got a slight height advantage," Bobby points out.

"Then cuff him to your chair. I don't know. Just watch him," Sam says, exiting the room.

"Bobby, what do you mean, 'Adam is gone?'" Sam asks annoyed. He and Gracilynn had gotten back ten minutes ago to find Adam nowhere to be found.

"Should I say it in Spanish?" Bobby asks, getting annoyed himself.

"He's gone how? What the hell, Bobby?!" Sam retaliates.

"Watch your tone, boy. He was right in front of me, and he disappeared into thin air," Bobby warns. Gracilynn jumps slightly when Cas appears carrying a bloody and battered Dean.

"Because the angels took him," Castiel answers Sam's question. Sam looks over at Cas and notices the state Dean in.

"What the hell happened to him?" Sam asks.

"Me," Cas says.

"Damn Cas," Gracilynn says, taking in her dad's appearance.

"What do you mean, the angels took Adam? You branded his ribs, didn't you?" Bobby asks, confused.

"Yes. Adam must have tipped them," Cas answers.

"How?" Bobby asks.

"I don't know. Maybe in a dream," Cas replies.

"Well, where would they have taken him?" Sam asks.

"Seriously?! You're gonna leave me here?!" Gracilynn asks incredulously. "I can help."

"No. It's too dangerous," Sam says.

"You sound just like dad," Gracilynn says.

"And you're dad's right," Sam counters. "He might be a pain in the ass but he still knows what he's talking about."

"This sucks out loud," Gracilynn says, dropping into the couch and crossing her arms, looking so much like Dean Sam can't help the smile playing on his lips. He quickly covers it up and gets serious once again.

"I know it does, but its bad enough with Adam being in the crossfire, we don't need you in the middle of it too," Sam says, kneeling down in front of her and giving her the puppy dog look. God, she hated that look. Now she knows why her dad hates it so much.

"Fine, on one condition," Gracilynn says, meeting her uncle's eyes determinedly.

"Um…okay," Sam says hesitantly.

"You both come back. Safe. Last time you two left my ass here I had to see the destruction on the news. Had to try to convince myself you two were alive. I'm not doing that again. So you two get your shit together and do what you have to do. But you had better make damn sure you both come back here alive," Gracilynn says, leaving no room for discussion.

"Okay," Sam says, matching his niece's gaze. Gracilynn nods her head, forcing a swallow around the lump in her throat, hoping to God this wasn't the last conversation she had with her uncle. Sam gives her a hug, ruffling her hair before pulling away. Gracilynn swats him in the arm, forcing a small smile on her face. Sam returns it with one of his own and walks out the doorway.

Sam notices Dean leaning up against the wall, staring at the floor. He walks the couple steps over to him and stands in front of him. Sam looks at him, but Dean doesn't lift his head.

"I'm gonna assume you heard all that," Sam says, but doesn't get a response. "I'm not the only one putting all their faith in you on this."

With that, Sam turns around and walks out the front door. Dean sighs, looking up and watching his brother exit the house and head over to the Impala. Dean bites his lip and takes a deep breath. He pushes himself off the wall and walks around the corner in to the study. Gracilynn is still sulking on the couch, staring out the window. She looks up when she hears her dad walk in.

"Hey," Dean says.

"Hey," Gracilynn returns. Dean takes a deep breath as if he's gonna say something but stops himself.

"Be careful," Dean says instead. Gracilynn stares at him for a moment before saying anything.

"You too," Gracilynn says, wanting to say more but won't. Instead, she stands up and wraps her arms around Dean's waist, giving him a hug. Dean returns the hug, resting his cheek on the top of his daughters' head. Neither one of them say anything, just stand like that for a couple minutes. Finally, Dean pulls away and looks down at her, really studying her.

"See you in a couple days," Dean says. Gracilynn nods her head, seeing the truth in her dad's eyes. Dean sends her a forced smile and turns around exiting the room. Gracilynn hears the front door shut. She looks out the window and sees her dad climb into the drivers' side of the Impala. Cas climbs in to the backseat and next thing she knows the Impala and her family has disappeared. Gracilynn takes a stuttering breath, thinking about the last thing her dad said to her.

"No you won't," Gracilynn says, feeling a single tear fall down her cheek.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	28. They'll Be Back Soon

Here's a Christmas gift for ya'll, another chapter! Enjoy!

Bobby stirs the chili cooking on the stove, sticking a finger in and tasting in. He nods his head and turns the burners off, placing the pot of chili on a cool burner. He pulls out a couple of bowls and sets them on the counter before turning around to face the study. He takes in the scene before him. Gracilynn is sitting slouched on the couch, feet on the table in front of her absent-mindedly flipping through the channels. Dean and Sam had taken off to retrieve Adam yesterday morning, it was now nearing dinner time, and she hadn't been doing much more than this since then. Bobby sighs and walks over to the archway separating the kitchen from the study.

"They'll be back soon," Bobby says, trying to reassure her.

"You sure about that," Gracilynn says.

"Yeah," Bobby says.

"Then why do I feel like I'm gonna be one family member short?" Gracilynn asks. Bobby sighs, not knowing what to say to that.

"Dinner's ready," Bobby says quietly.

"I'm not hungry," Gracilynn replies.

"You should eat something. If your daddy finds out you didn't eat…" Bobby says trailing off.

"I'm really tired Uncle Bobby. Think I'm just gonna head to bed," Gracilynn says, turning off the television and quietly heading up the stairs. Bobby sighs.

"You boys had better come back otherwise I don't know what's gonna happen to that girl," Bobby says quietly.

_ "I'll do it," Dean says to Zachariah._

_ "You'll do what?" Zachariah asks._

_ "Michael can where me to prom," Dean clarifies._

_ "You have to say it," Zachariah replies. Dean clenches his jaw and glares at him for a minute before continuing._

_ "Yes," Dean says. There is a bright light and the whole room begins to shake._

_ "Dean!" Sam yells from the floor, shielding his eyes from the bright light. It dissipates and when Sam looks up Dean looks at him. But it's not the Dean he grew up with. _

_ "Michael," Zachariah says in greeting. "Dean" turns and looks at Zachariah._

_ "Zachariah," Michael says._

Gracilynn gasp, her eyes shooting open, her breath quick. She blinks a few times and finds a ceiling above her. One that is familiar. She takes a couple deep breaths, reminding herself she's at Bobby's. She closes her eyes and forces the image of Michael in her fathers' body out of her mind. She slows her breathing down, hearing something in the distance. She focuses on it for a moment and realizes it's a car. She shrugs it off, open her eyes and looking at the clock on the night stand. 3:43. _Awesome. All of three hours of sleep_. She hadn't fallen right asleep after leaving Bobby downstairs during dinner. She just laid there and thought about everything that was happening. Gracilynn sighs, closing her eyes, trying not to think about her dream. Her eyebrows furrow. She still hears the car but this time its closer. Closer, like in the driveway closer. Gracilynn's eyes pop open and she sits up in bed. She listens as the car pulls up to the house.

"The Impala," Gracilynn whispers. She hears the car shut off and two door creek open and shut. Gracilynn flings her covers off of her, not caring they land in a heap at the side of the bed. She jumps out of bed and, whipping the door open, she runs down the stairs, almost knock Bobby over in the process.

"Slow down before you get yerself hurt," Bobby calls after her with a smile. He had heard the Impala rumble up to the house and was wondering how long it was going to take for Gracilynn to hear it as well.

Gracilynn flings the front door open and runs out onto the porch. She sees her uncle walking up to the steps. Sam stops and looks up at her, a tired smile on his face. Gracilynn smiles and leaps off the stairs, running into his arms, giving him a hug. Sam drops his bag and returns the hug. Gracilynn pulls back, looking at her uncle. Sam sees the silent plea in her eyes.

"He's by the trunk," Sam says, nodding his head behind him. Gracilynn's grin widens and she gives him another quick hug before running through the grass to the back of the impala.

Gracilynn rounds the corner of the impala where the trunk is open, coming to a halt. Dean looks up from the inside of the trunk and looks at her, shutting the trunk. Gracilynn studies him for a moment, making sure it's really him and not Michael. Dean sends a tired smile her way and Gracilynn returns it, hastily running into her dad's arms. Dean returns the hug, not overlooking how she's holding on as if he'll disappear if she let's go.

A loud grumble is heard and Dean pulls away from her, looking at her. The loud grumble happens again and Dean raises an eyebrow, looking down at her stomach. Gracilynn looks sheepish.

"What have you eaten while we were gone?" Dean asks.

"Um…" Gracilynn says, trying to think about her answer.

"She had a sandwich yesterday afternoon," Bobby says from the porch. Dean raises his other eyebrow.

"And…?" Dean asks.

"What d'you mean and?" Bobby says, "The poor kid was worried about you. What else do ya think she ate?"

Dean gives her a stern look which Gracilynn returns with a guilty grin and a shrug of her shoulders. Bobby lets out a laugh and Dean looks over at him.

"What?" he asks.

"That's the same look you used to give your daddy and me when you got caught doin' somethin' ya weren't supposed to," Bobby says. Sam grins, having noticed the same thing. "Come on, there's still some chili in the fridge.

"Dude, it's four o'clock in the morning," Gracilynn says.

"So you sleep in. Not like you're gonna go anywhere right off the bat," Bobby says, turning around and wheeling back in to the house.

Dean smiles and grabs his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. He wraps an arm around Gracilynn's shoulders and the two of them head towards the house, following chuckling Sam inside.

Please review! Enjoy the holidays!


	29. Purena's A Dog Food Dad

Sorry for the late update! Haven't been able to get to a computer to add the next chapter. Happy New Year and enjoy!

Dean drives down the road, lost in thought. They left Bobby's that afternoon on their way to another job; well, once they found another job. Dean glances over at Sam, his head resting on the window. His eyes are closed, but Dean knows he's not sleeping. There is a noise in the back seat and Dean glances in the rearview mirror. Gracilynn's stretched out in the backseat, her back resting on the passenger side door. Neither one of them had talked about the failed rescue mission; none of them wanted to bring it up. Dean diverts his attention back to the road.

Gracilynn rests her head on the back seat, trying not to think about what her dad almost did. Her dad and uncle hadn't brought it up and so neither did she. She didn't want to; it was bad enough she guessed what almost happened, she didn't need to know for sure. It was probably a lot worse than she was imagining it to be.

"We have another problem," Cas says, appearing in the back seat directly in front of Gracilynn.

"Son of a bitch!" Gracilynn yells, jumping and smacking her head on the window behind her. Sam jerks up from his position, instantly looking around to see what the danger is. Dean startles, the Impala swerving on the road.

"Ow, crap," Gracilynn says, rubbing the back of her head. Dean quickly gets control of the Impala and pulls it over, shutting it off. Dean and Sam turn around in their seats, looking into the back seat.

"You all right?" Dean asks his daughter.

"I'm fine," Gracilynn says, still rubbing her head.

"Cas," Dean says.

"I'm sorry," Cas replies, looking at Gracilynn. He then turns his attention back to Dean and Sam. "We have another problem."

"What now?" Dean asks, annoyed at the timing of the problem.

"Danavas," Cas says, "They are gathering in Bayfield, Colorado."

"Dan…Danav…What?" Dean asks.

"Danavas," Cas says, "Demons of gigantic proportions."

"What are they doing there?" Dean asks.

"Preparing for a war," Castiel says.

"A war? For what?" Dean asks, "The devil?"

"No. Something different. I am not sure what," Cas says.

"How many are there?" Sam asks.

"Too many to count," Cas answers.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with hundreds of demons Cas?!" Dean asks angrily.

"You don't do anything," Cas says.

"Then why are you here?" Dean asks with aggravation in his voice.

"You need to find the Indra, Purandar," Cas says.

"The what?" all three Winchesters ask in confusion, completely lost in this conversation.

"He is the only one who can send the Danavas back to hell," Cas says.

"Okay, so where are we supposed to find Purena?" Dean asks.

"Purandar," Cas corrects.

"Purena's a dog food dad," Gracilynn says with a smirk.

"Whatever," Dean says.

"We have to summon him," Cas says, handing over a piece of paper. Dean raises his eyebrows but takes the paper and looks it over.

"And why do we have to be the ones to summon him?" Dean asks as he reads what they will need. Cas doesn't say anything, just watches Dean. He knows Dean finds the answer to his question the moment his jaw tightens. Dean looks up at Cas, shoving the paper at Sam. Sam is a little taken aback but grabs the paper nonetheless and proceeds to reads the ingredients himself. "Really Cas?"

"There is no other way, and you are the only ones I trust…" Cas begins.

"Nah-uh. No way Cas. Not happening," Dean says. Gracilynn looks back and forth between her dad and Cas, trying to figure it all out.

"Dean, what are…"Sam asks, but trails off when he sees the same thing Dean had. Sam looks up at Gracilynn and then over to Cas.

"It's the only way," Cas says.

"What's the only way?" Gracilynn asks, tired of being kept in the dark.

"We need a virgins' blood," Cas says.

"Then get another virgins' blood! Dammit Cas!" Dean yells.

"The virgin has to be willing to give it up. How do you suppose I acquire that?" Cas counters.

"I don't know! You're an angel, find a way," Dean argues.

"Wait…You want me to do this don't you?" Gracilynn asks, putting two and two together.

"And you aren't doing it," Dean states.

"We need to banish the Danavas," Cas says.

"Cas," Dean warns.

"How much blood are we talking here?" Gracilynn.

"This isn't a discussion," Dean says, "It ain't happening so drop it."

"Dad, if these demons are planning a war then we need to stop them. And if I can help then I'm going to do it," Gracilynn says, looking at her dad.

"Gracilynn we're talking two liters here! You can't lose much more than that before you…" Dean says, stopping himself.

"I know this is a lot to ask for," Cas says.

"Damn right it is!" Dean yells, cutting him off.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Gracilynn asks.

"No!" Dean and Sam say at the same time.

"This was too much to ask. I shouldn't have asked it," Cas says. "I will find another way."

Cas abruptly disappears and the car goes silent. Gracilynn looks over at her dad and uncle, taking a deep breath.

"Dad…"

Dean gives her a glare in the rearview mirror, effectively shutting her up. Gracilynn sighs and looks out her window as Dean starts the Impala back up and merges onto the highway.

Gracilynn quietly climbs out of her bed, keeping an eye on both her dad and uncle. Satisfied they haven't stirred she grabs her coat and sneaks out the door. Softly closing the door behind her, Gracilynn pulls her coat on and walks around the corner of the building.

"Cas," Gracilynn whispers loudly, looking around. She doesn't see any sign of him, so she raises her voice slightly more, not wanting her dad or uncle to hear. _Can't be too careful_. "Cas."

"Gracilynn," Cas says from behind her. Gracilynn swivels around seeing a curious expression on his face.

"So, how do we do this ritual to call Dog Food Boy?" Gracilynn asks. Cas scrunches his eyebrows together.

"Are you talking about Purandar?" Cas asks.

"Yes Cas," Gracilynn says.

"We put the ingredients in a bowl and then I recite a spell as the virgin pours her blood into the bowl," Cas replies.

"And if something happens…?" Gracilynn asks, studying cas.

"I will protect you," Cas replies.

"Okay, let's do this," Gracilynn says. Cas nods his head but then stops, eyeing Gracilynn carefully.

"Where is your dad and uncle? Why have they changed their mind?" Cas asks. Gracilynn hesitates. "They don't know do they? They haven't changed their mind."

"Cas…" Gracilynn begins.

"I will not go against your fathers' wishes," Cas replies.

"Fine," Gracilynn says, "But if people die then this is on you Cas."

Gracilynn walks away angrily, leaving Castiel behind. Gracilynn turns the corner and stops, leaning up against the wall. She waits a moment, but doesn't hear anything. She pulls a paper out of her pocket and reads it over.

"Okay, I can do this," Gracilynn says, looking over the ingredient list she lifted from Cas' pocket. "I think dad has most of this stuff in the trunk of the Impala."

Gracilynn looks around her for anyone hanging around but doesn't see anyone. She glances over at their room but doesn't see any movement behind the curtains. Quickly, Gracilynn makes her way to the Impala, pulling out her lock pick. It takes her a little while but she finally picks the lock on the Impala's trunk. Opening the trunk, Gracilynn looks around her once more to make sure she truly is alone. Still satisfied with the result, she opens the hidden compartment and begins searching for the ingredients she'll need.

Please review! Would love to hear what ya'll think!


	30. She's A Winchester

Here's a quick chapter for ya'll!

Dean blinks his eyes open and stares at the ceiling, trying to figure out why he woke up. He looks over at the clock on the bedside table. _Ugh. 6:15_. Dean closes his eyes, but a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach forces him to open his eyes again. Dean lets out a groan and sits up in bed, doing the same he does first thing waking up; looking at his brothers' bed and at his daughters' bed. Only this time, his daughter isn't there. Dean looks around the room but doesn't see any sign of her. He throws his covers off him and his bare feet pad across the floor and he peers over to where the bathroom is. The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach grows when the bathroom light is off and the door open. Dean turns around and looks around the room once again, his eyes landing on the door. He quickly makes his way across the room, smacking his brother's feet on his way by.

"Sammy wake up," Dean says urgently. Sam startles awake. He squints his eyes, sitting up. Dean opens the door and steps outside, looking around.

"Dean?" Sam asks, confused as to why he is picking up the beginnings of an anxiety attack from his brother. Dean re-enters the room, looking over at his brother.

"Gracie's gone," Dean says. Sam's eyes widen, his head whipping over to her bed and seeing it empty. Sam whips his own blankets off him and climbs out of bed.

"Where…?" Sam asks, not knowing what to think. They weren't that heavy of sleepers that they wouldn't hear someone come in and take her. At least not both of them.

"She must've left on her own," Dean says, thinking the same think Sam had.

"Why? That makes no sense," Sam says, trying to figure it out. He looks up at Dean just in time to see his eyes grow wide. "Dean?"

Dean turns around and exits the room again. This time Sam follows him, going to the back of the Impala. Dean quickly unlocks the trunk and opens up the hidden compartment. He begins shoving things around, obviously looking for something.

"Dean?" Sam asks again.

"It's gone," Dean says, frantically searching the compartment.

"What's gone? Dean?" Sam asks, trying to get his brother to answer him.

"The ingredients on that list. The ones we had," Dean answers.

"What list? The one Cas showed us?" Sam asks, beginning to understand where his brothers' thoughts are headed. Dean throws a pouch back in to the compartment and looks up at his brother, meeting his gaze.

"But we…we didn't have all of it? Dean, you don't think she would've…?" Sam says, beginning to worry himself. Dean closes the compartment, still looking at Sam.

"It's what I would've done," Dean says. "It's what you would've done. She's a Winchester."

"Crap," Sam says. Dean shuts the trunk and leads Sam back in to the hotel room, Sam shutting the door behind them.

"Dean."

Dean and Sam both jump, not expecting to see Cas standing in the middle of the room, both of them preoccupied with trying to find out where Gracilynn went.

"Cas, where's Gracilynn?" Dean asks. Cas looks confused.

"What do you mean? Isn't she with you?" he asks.

"No! If she was with me, I wouldn't be freaking out right now!" Dean yells. Sam places a hand on Dean's shoulder and steps in.

"Cas, did Gracilynn try to contact you at all?" Sam asks.

"Yes. Early this morning. She wanted to do the summoning spell. I told her I would not go against your wishes. She got angry and left," Cas answers.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean growls, shrugging Sam's hand off and begins pacing around the room.

"Cas, Gracilynn's gone. She took the ingredients we had in the trunk for the spell," Sam says.

"But how…? How did she know what she would need?" Cas asks.

"Well, you said you talked to her. Did you let her see the paper?" Dean asks.

"No, I never took it out," Cas says, reaching into his pocket but not finding the paper. He checks his other pockets but doesn't find it in any of them as well. "It's gone."

Sam gives his brother a look.

"What?! I didn't think she'd pickpocket one of us when I taught her!" Dean says.

"It has been hours," Cas says. "She will have already finished the ritual."

"We didn't have anything. She will have had to go to a store to pick up the rest," Sam says.

"At two o'clock in the morning?" Cas asks.

"She's a Winchester. She would've broken in," Dean says. "It would've taken her a little time to get the things."

"So now we need to figure out where she went," Sam says.

"Some place where she wouldn't be bothered. Someplace close by. Walking distance," Dean says, thinking about the different buildings they passed on their way here. Sam is thinking the same thing.

"Dean. What about that warehouse we passed on the way here?" Sam asks.

"It's a good place to start," Dean says, grabbing his clothes and quickly getting dressed. Sam follows suit.

"I will take us there. It will be faster," Castiel says when they are done getting dressed. No sooner than Dean nods his head does Cas put two fingers on Dean and Sam's heads.

Gracilynn puts the ingredients in to the bowl sitting on the floor in front of her. She is sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, the paper with the incantation in front of her. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening them up, she pulls out her knife, making a cut across her forearm. The blood instantly begins flowing into the bowl and Gracilynn begins to read the spell on the paper.

By the end of the incantation, Gracilynn feels lightheaded and her vision is swimming. She grabs the piece of cloth on the floor and wraps it around the cut. There is a breeze and Gracilynn looks up. Standing in front of her is a tall muscular man with long blond hair and a beard. He regards her with curiosity.

"You have summoned me?" Purandar asks, looking at the girl slouched on the floor in front of him.

"The Danavas are preparing for war. I heard you were the only one who can stop them?" Gracilynn says, feeling weak.

"They are on Earth? How did they get up here?" Purandar asks.

"My guess is it has to do with the Apocalypse," Gracilynn answers.

"It's happening?" Purandar questions.

"Yeah, on the big screen and in HD," Gracilynn says, trying to push herself back up to a sitting position. Purandar looks confused at her response. "You can kill them?"

"Yes, where are they?" Purandar responds.

"They're in…" Gracilynn begins, but is beginning to find it hard to concentrate. "They're in…Colorado… um…Bayfield. Bayfield, Colorado."

Purandar studies her for a moment, but then looks around the room. He looks back at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You are alone," he says. "Why?"

"They kinda didn't want me doin' this," Gracilynn says, "But I had to. People are in danger."

There is a sound, seemingly somewhere in the building but it sounds far off to Gracilynn. _Maybe that's just from the blood loss_ Gracilynn thinks. _Dad's gonna be so pissed._ Purandar looks to the door, having heard the sound as well.

"I will bring them to you before I go," he says disappearing before her eyes. Gracilynn blinks, trying to keep her eyes open until her dad and uncle get here, but she feels so exhausted. _Dad's gonna handcuff me to his wrist after this_ Gracilynn thinks right before her eyes drift close.

Hope ya'll like it! Please review!


	31. I'll Make A Deal With You

"We need to split up. We'll find her faster," Dean says, "Cas you take this floor. Sammy take the second floor and I'll take the third floor."

Just before they go their separate ways and large muscular man appears in front of them. Dean and Sam step back, their guns raised pointing at the man in front of them.

"Purandar?" Cas asks.

"You are looking for the girl?" Purandar asks, ignoring Cas.

"Uh…yeah…" Dean answers, hearing Cas say the guys name, but not lowering his gun.

"She is on the third floor. Second room on the left," Purandar says, "I have some business to attend to."

With that, Purandar disappears as fast as he appeared. Dean and Sam slowly lower their guns, staring at the spot where he was, trying to figure out what just happened.

"Dean," Cas says. Dean looks over at him and then remembers what Purandar said.

"Let's go," Dean says, running up the stairs three at a time. Sam and Cas quickly follow after him. Dean opens the door on the third floor and racing down the hall, barely stopping at the second door on his left. Dean slides around the doorway and into the room taking it in. He immediately spies Gracilynn sitting on the floor, eyes closed.

Dean runs over to her, dropping on his knees, setting his gun on the floor beside him. He puts two fingers on her neck, silently pleading there is still a pulse. He curses his shaking hands. Sam drops down next to him, determinedly moving Dean's fingers out of the way and feeling for himself.

"There's a pulse. But it's faint," Sam says, letting out a breath the same time Dean does. "Gracie," Dean calls, resting a hand on her cheek and watching for her to stir. "Gracie."

Gracilynn's eyebrows furrow, hearing her name being called. She thinks the voice sounds familiar but it sounds far away.

"Gracie, open your eyes," Dean says. Gracilynn hears the order but she is just so tired. She hears the order again, this time a little more urgently. She tries to open them but they feel so heavy.

"Come on baby, open your eyes," Dean begs. Gracilynn hears the voice break slightly, her own heart breaking for the desperation she hears. She digs deep and forces her eyes to open. It takes a minute for her to focus but once she does, she sees two pairs of worried eyes looking at her.

"Cas, can you heal her?" Sam asks. Cas nods and places his hand on her head, but nothing happens. Dean looks up at him.

"Cas?"

"I…I don't know…I can't seem to heal her…" Cas says, not understanding any of this. His powers couldn't have drained that fast.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean mutters. "Come on Gracie, we're getting you to a hospital."

Dean wraps his arms under Gracilynn's legs and back, hoisting her up in a cradle position. Sam grabs Dean's gun and Gracilynn's knife he notices on the floor and follows Dean out of the room.

Once outside the building, Dean quickly places Gracilynn in the front seat, Sam joining her after putting their weapons in the trunk. Sam wraps an arm around his niece, helping her rest up against him. Dean climbs into the driver seat, placing Gracilynn's feet on his lap. Starting the car up, Dean quickly squeals out of the parking lot and onto the road. He spots a sign for the hospital and presses down on the gas pedal, silently urging the Impala to go faster.

The first thing Gracilynn notices is the smell. Everything smelled so…clean. The next thing she notices is how quiet everything is. She hears a light murmur but the voices don't sound familiar at all. Gracilynn's hand twitches and she realizes someone is holding it. At the same time, she realizes someone is holding her other hand as well. She furrows her eyebrows, trying to figure out where she is. She hears a creak and then feels someone lean on the bed.

"Gracie?" She knows that voice; this one definitely sounds familiar. "Gracie? Open your eyes for me."

Gracilynn's mind flashes back to earlier when the same demand was given. She remembers the desperation in this man's voice. Now…the desperation wasn't there but there was still worry? Hope?

"Come on Gracie. Open those beautiful green eyes for me," Dean says, noticing his daughter starting to wake up and fight the exhaustion. Gracilynn slowly opens her eyes, noticing the same green eyes she sees in the mirror looking back at her.

"D'd?" she asks.

"Yeah, baby, it's me," Dean says, a wide smile appearing on his face. "How you feelin'?"

"Tir'd," Gracilynn says, looking around the room.

"You're in the hospital," Dean says, already knowing what her next question is going to be.

"D'nav's?" Gracilynn asks.

"Taken care off. Saw on the news there was some sort of explosion in a field in Bayfield, Colorado. Cas went and checked it out. Said they were gone," Dean says. Gracilynn nods her head.

"'Ncle S'm?" Gracilynn asks. Dean nods to the other side of the bed where Sam is sleeping, his head on the bed.

"Been squished in that chair since you moved in. Been hangin' on to your hand the whole time like a little girl too," Dean says, smirking. Gracilynn manages a small smile in return, which only serves to make Dean's smile grow a little bigger.

"So…What's your 'scuse?" Gracilynn says, squeezing her dad's hand slightly.

"Touché," Dean says with a smile. His face suddenly becomes seriously and Gracilynn knows their light conversation is over. "What were you thinking Gracilynn? You could've gotten yourself killed."

"Dad…" Gracilynn says, closing her eyes.

"I said we weren't doing the ritual. Hell, Sam agreed with me," Dean says.

"Was only a m'tt'r of time 'fore the D'navas 'ttacke'd s'meone. If p'ple got hurt n' I c'ld've stopped it, I w'ldn't have b'n able to f'rgive myself," Gracilynn counters tiredly. Dean sighs, standing up and rubbing a hand through his hair and then down is face. Gracilynn watches him, aware that her uncle has woken up from their raised voices and has just sat up. "You w'ld've done the same thing n' you know it. So w'ld've Uncle S'm."

Dean looks over at her, knowing she has a point but not liking it anyways. He can see she is exhausted and the dark rings under her eyes. Some of the color in her face has returned but she still looks pretty pale, her freckles on her cheeks and nose standing out still.

"You should go back to sleep. We'll talk about this later," Dean says.

"Dad…" Gracilynn begins.

"Go to sleep Gracie," Dean says. Gracilynn purses her lips but she feels the exhaustion pulling her back to sleep even as she wants to stay up and get this conversation over with. Gracilynn sighs, her eyelids slipping closed. Dean sighs himself and sits down in his chair, one hand grabbing Gracilynn's and the other running through her hair. Gracilynn hears her dad sit back down in the chair. She feels him grab her hand and her hair being stroked. Seconds after, Dean hears Gracilynn's breath even out and he looks up at Sam, who hasn't said a single word throughout the whole exchange.

"Our life really sucks," Dean says.

"Yeah, I know," Sam agrees.

"Well, everything looks good here," Dr. MacCarthy says, as she looks at her clipboard. "You can get out of here as soon as I get your paperwork together."

"Awesome," Gracilynn says, relieved to finally be getting out of there.

"You sure she's okay to leave Doc?" Dean asks, checking his daughter over. Dr. MacCarthy smiles. She had grown a soft spot for the group in front of her. It was just Gracilynn, her dad, and uncle and it was obvious the two men cared about her a lot.

"I'm sure," the doctor assures, then turns to Gracilynn. "I'm just going to borrow your dad here for a minute so he can sign the paperwork and then the three of you can be on your way."

"Thanks Doc," Gracilynn says with a smile. The doctor leaves the room with Dean following after her.

"You know, you scared the crap outta us," Sam says, looking over at his niece. Gracilynn looks up at him, sighing.

"Yeah…I know," Gracilynn says quietly. "But I had to do it. I mean, it's what we do right? Help people?"

"Yeah, but your sixteen. You shouldn't have to be so reckless," Sam points out. "Just promise me you won't pull another stupid stunt like that again, okay?"

"Okay," Gracilynn says, nodding her head in agreement. They hear footsteps and look up in time to see Dean round the corner and enter the room, pushing a wheelchair in front of him. Gracilynn raises an eyebrow. "You're old dad, but not that old."

"Very funny. This is for you," Dean says, smirking.

"What?" Gracilynn whines. "Dude, I don't need a damn wheelchair. I can walk out on my own two feet."

"Sorry, hospital policy," Dean says, pushing the wheelchair over to where she is. Gracilynn looks over at her uncle, giving him a pleading look.

"Hey, who am I to argue hospital policy?" Sam says.

"You guys suck," Gracilynn grumbles flopping herself into the wheelchair.

"That might be so, but I'm still your father," Dean says, pushing the wheelchair and Gracilynn out in to the hall and to the front doors, Sam following after them. Once outside, Dean digs in his pocket and pulls out his keys, handing them to Sam. "Why don't you go grab the Impala?"

Sam grabs the keys from Dean and heads down the sidewalk to the parking lot where they left the car. A few minutes later, Gracilynn hears the familiar rumble of the Impala and she looks down the street to see the sleek, black car pull up in front of them.

"All right, in you go," Dean says, opening the back door and helping Gracilynn in. Gracilynn rolls her eyes.

"I can get in to the car myself dad," Gracilynn says, but doesn't shrug off the hand on her arm. Dean shuts the door and climbs into the front passenger seat before Sam takes off down the road.

It had been a couple hours since they left the hospital and no one had really said anything the whole time. Gracilynn shifts her gaze from her window to her dad. She bites her lip catching her Uncle's look in the rearview mirror.

"Hey dad?" Gracilynn says. Dean shifts his head slightly to see her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," Dean answers.

"'M sorry," Gracilynn says. Dean sighs.

"Listen," Dean says, turning around in his seat to look at her, taking a moment to think about what he wants to say, "You were right. What you did is exactly what I would've done. Exactly what Sam would've done. So, yeah. I get it. I know why you did it. But you going off by yourself was dangerous. What if we hadn't gotten there in time? It was a suicide mission."

"So what? You're the only one that can go on suicide missions?" Gracilynn asks, realizing the car is parked on the side of the road now. Dean gives her a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asks.

"Seriously? Like you weren't planning on saying yes to Michael when you and Uncle Sam went to go get Adam," Gracilynn accuses. Dean purses his lips.

"That's different," Dean says, not denying or agreeing with the accusation.

"How?" Gracilynn asks, knowing her dad doesn't have an answer. Dean hesitates for a moment, knowing he doesn't have an answer and knowing Gracilynn knows he doesn't.

"Just promise me you won't go on any more of these suicide missions all right?" Dean says, looking Gracilynn dead in the eyes. Gracilynn meets her dad's gaze just as determined.

"I'll make a deal with you. I promise not to go on any more suicide missions as long as you promise not to go on any more suicide missions," Gracilynn responds.

"That…" Dean begins, stopping himself when Sam clears his throat. Dean looks at his daughter for a second, seeing what he never wanted to see in his daughters' face. It was the same look he had at that age. The same one he had now. The one that was desperate enough to do whatever she had to do to protect the only family she has left. "All right. I promise."

"Good. Now that we're stopped on the side of the road can I get a sweatshirt. 'Cause I'm cold. And tired," Gracilynn says.

"Yeah," Dean says, smiling slightly. He climbs out of the front seat, taking the keys from Sam and opening the trunk. Gracilynn hears him shuffling around a little before the trunk closes and he climbs back in to the front seat, handing Sam the keys back and throwing a grey sweatshirt over the seat. Gracilynn catches it, noticing it's one of her dads. _Awesome. I love big sweatshirts_. Gracilynn pulls it on over her head as Sam starts the car back up and merges back on to the road. Gracilynn moves down in the seat and lies down on her side, falling asleep to the sound of the Impala's wheels over the road.


	32. Broke the Needle

Here's the next chapter! Is everyone excited about Supernatural winning in the PCA's and our Fandom? I was! Great way to top off the awesome news about Jensen and Daneel expecting!

The Impala parks in front of a hotel lobby, Dean shutting off the engine. Gracilynn blinks her eyes and tiredly looks up from where her head is resting on the window. They had been driving for what seemed like days, but was really only hours; the storm making things that much worse for them. She looks up front and sees her dad and uncle climb out of the car and quickly make their way to the trunk and grab all of their bags. She jumps when her dad bangs on the top of the car. Gracilynn climbs out of the car and forces herself not to laugh at her father, looking like a drowned rat in the rain. The three of them hurry into the hotel room, shaking off the water drenching them. Sam looks over at Gracilynn, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Is that my sweat shirt?" Sam asks. Dean looks over and smirks. Gracilynn shrugs her shoulders.

"I like big sweatshirts," she replies. "I was able to curl up inside it and take a nap."

"You better not have stretched it out," Sam says. Both Gracilynn and Dean give him a look.

"Dude you're like five times her size. I'm pretty sure she didn't stretch it out," Dean says. Sam rolls his eyes. Dean sends him a smirk and looks around the lobby, leading them to the front desk. "Whew. Nice digs, for once. Busy night."

"Any port in a storm, I guess," the front desk clerk, Chad, says chuckling. "If you could just fill this out, please."

"Yeah," Dean says taking the book from Chad and beginning to fill it out.

"Sir, I think... Shaving nick there," Chad says, handing Dean a tissue. Dean hands the book back and takes the tissue, blotting the nick mark on his jaw line. Chad hands over a key to Dean. "Your key."

"Oh. Thanks. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a coffee shop, would you?" Dean says, taking the key from the clerk.

"Buffet. All you can eat. Best pie in the tri-state area," Chad replies.

"You don't say?" Dean says, smiling at the mention of pie. Dean picks up his bag and leads his brother and daughter down the hall to the buffet.

Gracilynn is sitting at the table with an empty plate in front of her, stuffed from all the food she ate. She looks over at her dad sampling all of the pies at the buffet table. She was hoping there was apple pie; she loved apple pie. She notices a woman sitting a table right in the path her dad would have to take to come back to their table.

"I give him three minutes," Gracilynn says. Sam looks up at her.

"What?" he asks confused at the sudden proclamation.

"Dad. I give him three minutes before he hits on that chick," Gracilynn says nodding towards the woman sitting at the table. Sam looks over at her and smirks.

"I say two," Sam replies. They watch as Dean begins walking towards them, two plates in his hands. He notices the woman sitting by herself and stops at her table. Sam looks at his watch. "Yep. Two."

"Not fair. You have twenty-five years on me," Gracilynn says stubbornly. Sam chuckles. Dean walks over and takes a seat at their table, upset that he got turned down so quickly. He sets a plate in front of himself and one in front of Gracilynn.

"Apple?" Gracilynn asks, looking at it.

"Yup, the best I've ever tasted," Dean says. Gracilynn smirks and digs in. Dean looks over at Sam's plate, noticing it's still empty. "Sam, unpucker, man. Eat something."

"We should hit the road, Dean," Sam says.

"In this storm? I…it's…" Dean begins.

"It's biblical. Exactly," Sam interrupts him. "I…it's friggin' Noah's ark out there, and we're eating pie."

"How many hours of sleep did you get this week? What? Three? Four? Bobby's got his feelers out, okay? We have talked with every hoodoo man and root woman in twelve states," Dean counters.

"Yeah, well, I'm not giving up," Sam declares.

"Nobody's giving up. Especially me. We're gonna find a way to beat the devil, okay? Soon. I can feel it. And we will find Cas, we'll find Adam. But you are no good to me, or Gracie, burnt out," Dean points out.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Sam says.

"Come on, we've actually got the night off for once. Let's try to enjoy it," Dean says.

A half an hour later finds the three Winchesters making their way up the stairs to their room. They round the corner and walk down the hall to their door. As they near their door, they see a couple making out in front of their door a few feet down the hall. Dean smiles and points at them.

"Oh, what are you, 12?" Sam asks. Dean scoffs.

"I'm young at heart," Dean replies. The door creaks open and Dean whistles, taking in the room before them. "Wow. Look at this. We're like Rockefellers. Chocolates! You want yours?"

Sam looks over at his brother who is by the beds, already tossing his own chocolate in his mouth. Gracilynn squeezes by him and throws her bag on her own bed, grabbing the chocolate on her pillow and tossing it into her mouth as well.

"Knock yourself out," Sam says seeing Dean already reaching for his chocolate.

"Whoa. Casa Erotica 13 on demand," Dean says. Sam scoffs at him. "What?"

"Dad, that's gross. Save the comments for when I'm not around," Gracilynn says. Dean just smirks in her direction. _She is so easy, just like Sam_.

"Isn't this place... in the middle of nowhere?" Sam asks, setting his bag on his bed, still looking around the room.

"So?" Dean asks, sitting on his bed and toeing off his boots.

"So what's a four-star hotel doing on a no-star highway?" Sam asks.

"He's got a point," Gracilynn says. A woman in the next room over moans with pleasure . The bed begins thump against the wall. Gracilynn makes a disgusted face. Chuckling is heard followed by a loud thud. Suddenly, the brick wall of the room is smashed in from the other side and almost knock the LCD flat screen TV off the wall. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn all jump slightly, not expecting the sudden cave in.

Dean and Sam exchange looks before exiting their room and heading over to the next room. They open the door and find the room completely empty, except for a large engagement ring on the floor Dean finds.

"Hello?" Dean calls out.

"Hello?" Sam calls out.

Gracilynn peers inside the room and looks around. She sees the wall smashed above the bed and her eyebrows shoot upwards.

"Dude, is that even possible?" Gracilynn asks giving the wall and bed an offending look. Dean looks over at her.

"What? No. Of course not," Dean says, not really sure how he got on this topic with his daughter.

"We should try to find them. Give that back," Sam says, nodding at the ring in Dean's hand.

"Yeah," Dean replies, nodding his head in agreement.

Once they get back down to the lobby, Gracilynn follows her dad and uncle up to the reception desk. Chad is still there and looks up at them with a smile.

"The, uh, the room next to ours … t…the couple that are, uh, joined at the lips… have you seen them?" Dean asks.

"Mr. and Mrs. Logan… the honeymooners? They checked out. Is something the matter?" Chad asks.

"They checked out?" Sam asks, surprised.

"Mm-hmm. Mm, just now," Chad replies, looking at his computer.

"Really? It sort of seemed like they were, uh...," Sam says, chuckling, trying to find the right words. "...in the middle of something."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird for honeymooners to, uh, check out without this," Dean adds, holding up the engagement ring.

"Oh, dear. I'll just put that right in the lost and found. Don't you worry. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Chad replies, taking the ring and putting it in a safe.

"Uh, no. No, we're good," Dean says.

"Super-fantastic," Chad says. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn walk away from the desk to another part of the room.

"Okay, uh…can we say creepy?" Gracilynn asks, shooting Chad a sideways glance.

"Yeah," Sam says agreeing with her.

"Broke the needle. All right, well, me and Gracie'll scope out the joint, and you keep an eye on Norman Bates over here. I mean, one night off. Is that too much to ask?" Dean says, leading Gracilynn down one of the halls.

Dean and Gracilynn walk down one of the hallways, looking for anything suspicious. Dean pulls out his EMF detector and begins sweeping it around the hallway. The two of them pass a room with its door open and they see an elephant holding a towel out of the corner of their eyes. Dean and Gracilynn stop and look at each other, corking an eyebrow and wearing identical expressions. They take a few steps back and look in the room to see a heavier set man wrapping a towel around his waist. The man looks up and sees them.

"This ain't no peep show, man!" the guy says angrily. Dean raises his eyebrows, but continues on their way, gently pushing Gracilynn ahead of him.

"Not that I wanted to, but if the guy didn't want anyone looking then why the hell'd he leave the damn door open?" Gracilynn asks, shaking her head.

"'Cause people are crazy," Dean answers.

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	33. I Think I'm Gonna Be Sick

Because I wasn't able to update yesterday, thought I would update two chapters today! Enjoy!

Sam, Dean, and Gracilynn enter the lobby, finding it completely empty. Sam turns to look at Dean and Gracilynn.

"An elephant?" Sam asks.

"Yeah," Dean and Gracilynn answer. Sam tries to wrap his head around it.

"Like, an elephant?" Sam asks again.

"Like, full-on Babar," Dean answers.

"Do you even know who Babar is?" Gracilynn asks her dad.

"Yeah, he's the elephant in the kids' books," Dean says. Gracilynn raises an eyebrow with a smirk. "Shut up."

"So what the hell is... Where is everybody?" Sam asks, finally noticing no one is in the lobby. He walks over to the lobby doors and tries to open them but they don't budge.

"Let me guess…it's locked. So what…the roaches check in, they don't check out?" Dean asks.

"Sounds like they took Hotel California a little too literal," Gracilynn says, earning a nod from Dean.

"Think about how we got here. That detour on I-90? The friggin' hurricane?" Sam says.

"You saying we were led here?" Dean asks.

"Like rats in a maze," Sam says.

"This is why we should stick to the crappy hotels," Gracilynn says.

"Come on, lets' go see if we can find anyone," Dean says, walking down the hall leading to the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen area, they see a big pot filled with liquid boiling on the stove. Gracilynn looks in it, hoping she doesn't see something she doesn't want to. Dean grabs the ladle to see what's in it.

"Please be tomato soup. Please be tomato soup," he mutters, lifting the ladle to reveal eyeballs. "Hotel Hell."

"Does this mean _all_ of the food…?" Gracilynn says, trailing off and looking at her dad.

"God I hope not," Dean says.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Gracilynn says. Sam looks around and sees a locked freezer on their right and walks towards it slowly. He peers in and sees the rest of the hotel guests.

"Help us! Get us out!" a man yells. Sam quickly pulls out his lock pick kit and begins working on the lock.

"Hurry up!" Dean urges.

"I'm going as fast as I... as I can," Sam says turning around and noticing someone behind Dean and Gracilynn.

"There's somebody behind us, isn't there?" Dean asks.

The three Winchesters are dragged into the grand ballroom by three men. They notice a big table surrounded by many people.

"Something tells me this isn't a Shriner convention," Dean says, grunting.

"Dinner is served," Mercury says and the people around the table applause.

"Ladies and Gentleman, our guests of honor have arrived," Baldur says, pointing towards the Winchesters. The group looks over at them, taking them in.

"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming. Although in all my centuries, I never thought I'd see this. This many Gods under one roof…" Baldur says after clinking his fork against his champagne glass.

"Gods?" Sam asks Dean.

"…Now, before we get down to brass tacks, some ground rules. No slaughtering each other. Curb your wrath. Oh, and uh, keep your hands off the local virgins. We're, trying to keep a low profile here…" Baldur continues.

"Seriously? What is with people and damn virgins?" Gracilynn mutters.

"Oh, we are so... so screwed," Sam says quietly.

"…Now we all know why we're here. The Judeo-Christian apocalypse looms over us. I know we've all had our little disagreements in the past. The time has come to put those aside and look toward the future. Because if we don't, we won't have one. Now we do have two very valuable bargaining chips. Michael, and Lucifer's vessels. The question is, what do we do now? Anybody have any bright ideas? Speak up. This is a safe room," Baldur says.

"What do we do? We kill them!" Zao Shen says, speaking in a foreign language. Ganesh laughs.

"Kill 'em? What, so the angels can bring the back again?" he says.

"I don't know what everybody's getting so worked up about! 'Cause it's just a couple of angels having a slap fight! There's no Armageddon. Everybody knows, when the world comes to an end, the Great Serpent Jormungandr rises up, and I myself will be eaten by a big wolf!" Odin says, laughing.

"Here we go…" Zao Shen says, still speaking in a foreign language.

"Oh yeah? And why is that? Because your beliefs are so much more realistic? The whole world's getting carried around on the back of a giant turtle? Ha! Give me a break!" Odin argues.

"Don't mock my world turtle," Zao Shen argues back.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Odin challenges.

"I'm gonna send you packing to Valhalla!" Zao Shen states.

"You watch your mouth when you talk to me, boy!" Odin yells.

"Boy? I'm older than you," Zao Shen yells back.

"No one's ever proved that," Odin points out.

As Odin and Zao Shen continue to argue, Dean grabs Gracilynn's sleeve and quietly pulls her out of her seat. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn quietly try to exit the room without being noticed by the gods. As they get close to the door, a chandelier suddenly falls in front of them with a loud crash. They halt in their escape attempt and look at the gods in front of them.

"Stay. We have to fight. The archangels - the only thing they understand is violence. This ends in blood. There is no other way, it's them, or us," Kali says. Dean nonchalantly pushes Gracilynn behind him and Sam.

"With all due respect, ma'am, we haven't even tried talking to them," Mercury says. He suddenly begins to choke up blood. Baldur immediately steps in and stops Kali from killing Mercury.

"Kali!" Baldur warns.

"Who asked you?" Kali asks Mercury.

The grand ballroom door swing open and in walks Gabriel. He's not wearing a name tag like the others are.

"Can't we all just get along!" Gabriel says. Dean attempts to say Gabriel's name but is cut off by Gabriel and he chokes on the word.

"Sam! Dean... It's always wrong place, worst time with you muttonheads, huh?" Gabriel says.

"Loki," Baldur says, looking at Gabriel.

"Baldur. Good seeing you too. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail," Gabriel says smartly.

"Why are you here?" asks Baldur.

"To talk about the elephant in the room," Gabriel says. Ganesh begins to stand, indignant at the remark. Gabriel looks at Ganesh. "Not you. The Apocalypse. We can't stop it, gang. But first things first."

Gabriel turns around to face Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn.

"The adults need to have a little conversation. Check you later," Gabriel says, snapping his fingers. The three Winchesters disappear out of the room.

"Okay Did that…Holy crap!" Dean says, finally able to talk, noticing they are in their hotel room.

"Yeah, tell me about it. By the way, next time I say let's keep driving, uh, let's keep driving," Sam says.

"Okay Yeah. Next time," Dean agrees.

"Alright, so what's our next move?" Sam asks, looking over at his brother.

"I-I-I... I don't know. Grab those poor saps outta the freezer, I guess? Bust 'em out? Gank a few freaks along the way if we're lucky?" Dean says, not really sure what their next move is.

"And when are you ever lucky?" Gabriel asks. Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn all turn to face him.

"Well you know what, bite me, Gabriel," Dean says, annoyed.

"Maybe later, big boy," Gabriel counters.

"I should've known. I mean this had your stink all over it from the jump," Dean accuses.

"You think I'm behind this? Please. I'm the Costner to your Houston. I'm here to save your ass," Gabriel announces.

"You wanna pull us outta the fire?" Dean asks, confused.

"Bingo! Those guys are either gonna dust you, or use you as bait. Either way, you're uber boned," Gabriel explains.

"Wow, 'cause a couple of months ago you were telling us that we need to "play our roles". You're uber boning us!" Dean says, starting to get aggravated.

"Ohh... The end is still nigh. Michael and Lucifer are gonna dance the lambada, but not tonight. Not here," Gabriel says.

"And why do you care?" Dean asks, knowing Gabriel is hiding something.

"I don't care. But, me and Kali we, uh, had a thing. Chick was all hands. What can I say? I'm sentimental," Gabriel admits.

"Do they have a chance? Against Satan?" Sam asks.

"Really, Sam?" Dean asks in turn.

"You got a better idea, Dean?" Sam counters.

"It's a bad idea. Lucifer's gonna turn them into finger paint. So let's get going while the going's good, hmm?" Gabriel says.

"Okay. Great, why don't you just zap us outta here then?" asks Dean.

"Would if I could, but Kali's got you by the short and curlies. It's a blood spell. You boys are on a leash," Gabriel declares.

"What does that mean?" Dean asks, confused yet again.

"It means it's time for a bit of the old black magic," Gabriel says, spraying his mouth with breath spray. Gracilynn rolls her eyes. _He's worse than dad_.

"Okay, yeah. Well, whatever. Well, we're gonna take the hors d'oeuvres in the freezer with us," Dean says.

"Forget it. Its' gonna be hard enough sneaking you mooks outta here," Gabriel all but argues.

"They called you Loki, right? Which means they don't really know who you are?" Dean says.

"Told you. I'm in witness protection," Gabriel says.

"Okay, well then how about you do what we say, or we tell the, uh, legion of doom about your secret identity. They don't seem like a real pro-angel kinda crowd," Dean threatens.

"I'll take your voices away," Gabriel threatens back.

"We'll write it down," Dean counters.

"I'll cut off your hands," Gabriel counters back.

"Well then, people are gonna be asking, 'Why are you guys running around with no hands?'" Dean points out. Gracilynn smirks. _Sometimes, dad is so juvenile, no matter how much it makes sense._

"Fine," Gabriel says, giving in.

Please review!


	34. Damn You Winchesters

Here's a quick update for ya guys!

Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn enter the lobby area when they hear a man screaming from the far side employee entrance. The trio quickly move out of sight and watch as two men drag one of the freezer occupants into the lobby.

"No! N-No! No! Please! Gah!" the man screams. One of the men raises a cleaver, ready to strike. Gracilynn's eyes grow big as the cleaver descends. Dean grabs her shoulder and pushes her back into the wall so she can't see. It doesn't stop her from hearing it though and she grimaces at the sound.

"It's too late," Sam whispers to his brother. The two men each grab a part of the man and disappear down one of the halls. Once they are sure the men are gone, the trio of Winchesters come out of hiding. Dean turns to Gracilynn.

"Stay close," he says, leaving no room for discussion. Gracilynn nods her head and follows her dad and uncle down a hall and into the kitchen.

They can hear the screams of the people trapped in the freezer as they enter the kitchen. Sam quickly tries to unlock the freezer once again with his lock pick tools. Dean is grabbed by Zao Shen and is thrown across the room. Gracilynn ducks and runs before he can get to her. Zao Shen turns to Sam and grabs him by the neck and pins him against the freezer, resulting in a gasp from Sam. Sam struggles against the hold, trying to break free but is not having very much success. Gracilynn looks over at her father who is struggling to get himself off of the metal shelving unit he landed on. Her gaze shifts back over to her uncle and sees Zao Shen is starting use force in order to choke him. Gracilynn's catches something out of the corner of her eye and she shifts her gaze to the floor, finding the stake they brought with them. She looks over at her dad who realizes what she is about to do. Dean shakes his head, but Gracilynn ignores him, seeing him barely on his hands and knees. She dives out of her hiding spot and grabbing the stake, she hurriedly makes her way to Zao Shen. She stabs Zao Shen who, in his surprise, releases Sam. Gracilynn shoves it in a little further and Zoa Shen dies.

"Where the hell is Gabriel?" Dean asks walking over to them. Before anyone can answer, Gracilynn is grabbed from behind and dragged a few feet away. Dean and Sam lunge for her only to be grabbed from behind themselves.

"Son of a Bitch," Dean grumbles.

Sam, Dean, and Gracilynn are thrown into the ballroom once again. This time, though, Gabriel is already there.

"How long have you known?" Gabriel asks.

"Long enough," Kali answers.

"How's the rescue going?" Dean asks Gabriel sarcastically.

"Well, surprise, surprise. The Trickster has tricked us," Kali says.

"Kali, don't," Gabriel warns.

"You're mine now. And you have something I want," Kali says, reaching into Gabriel's jacket and pulling out his angel sword. "An Archangel's blade. From the Archangel, Gabriel."

"Okay, okay! So I got wings, like Kotex. But that doesn't make me any less right about Lucifer," Gabriel says.

"He's lying. He's a spy," Kali announces to the other gods.

"I'm not a spy. I'm a runaway. I'm trying to save you. I know my brother, Kali. He should scare the living crap out of you. You can't beat him. I've skipped ahead, seen how this story ends…" Gabriel begins.

"Your story. Not ours. Westerners, I swear. The sheer arrogance. You think you're the only ones on earth? You pillage and you butcher in your God's name. But you're not the only religion, and he's not the only God. And now you think you can just rip the planet apart? You're wrong. There are billions of us. And we were here first. If anyone gets to end this world, it's me. I'm sorry," Kali interrupts. She stabs Gabriel with his own sword. Gabriel screams and there is a flash of light before he dies.

"This is crazy," Mercury says, astonished.

"They can die. We can kill Lucifer," Kali declares.

"All right you primitive screwheads, listen up," Dean says.

"Dad," Gracilynn hisses.

"Are you outta your mind?" Sam hisses himself.

"I'm outta options," Dean says to them. "Now on any other given day, I'd be doing my damndest to, uh, kill you. You filthy murdering chimps. But, uh, hey, desperate times. So even though I'd love nothing better than to slit your throats, you dicks, I'm gonna help you. I'm going to help you ice the devil. And then we can all get back to ganking each other, like normal. You want Lucifer, well, dude's not in the Yellow Pages. But me and Sam, we can get him here."

"How?" Kali asks.

"First you let those main courses go. And Gracilynn," Dean says, earning a glare from her. "Then we talk. We can either take on the devil together, or you lame-ass bitches can eat me. Literally."

"Come on everybody! Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go. Alright, alright, go, go, go! Get outta here!" Dean says, herding all of the guests in the parking lot.

"Psst! Dean! Don't look at me! Act natural. Get in," Gabriel says out a rolled down window of the Impala. Dean looks around and then gets into the Impala, ushering Gracilynn in before him.

"Man, there is nothing natural about this at all. I thought you were dead," Dean says, looking over at Gabriel.

"You think I'd give Kali my real sword? That thing can kill me!" Gabriel says in shock.

"Then what do they have in there?" Dean asks.

"A fake! Made it out of a can of diet orange Slice. So, uh, go snag our blood, would ya?" Gabriel says.

"What?" Dean asks in confusion.

"I heard you in there. Kali likes you. You can get close. Lift the plasma, then we vamoose," Gabriel explains.

"No. Hand over the real blade. Better yet, why don't you sack up and help us take down Lucifer," Dean says.

"You can't be serious?" Gabriel asks.

"Deadly," Dean deadpans.

"Since when are you butt buddies with a bunch of monsters? That's all they are to you, aren't they?" Gabriel counters.

"Alright, you know, Sam was right. It's nuts but it's the best idea I've heard, so unless you have a better one?" Dean argues.

"Well, good luck with that. Me? I'm blowing Jonestown. Those lemmings wanna run off a cliff, that's their business," Gabriel argues back.

"I see right through you, you know that? The smart-ass shell, the whole "I could give a crap" thing? Believe me, it takes one to know one," Dean says, calling Gabriel out.

"That so?" Gabriel asks, amused.

"Yes. And maybe those freaks in there aren't your blood but they are your family," Dean points out.

"They just stabbed me in the friggin' heart!" Gabriel yells.

"Maybe, but you still give a crap about 'em, don't you?" Dean asks.

"Dean," Gabriel warns.

"Now they're gonna die in there, without you," Dean continues.

"I can't kill my brother," Gabriel says, looking Dean dead in the eyes.

"Can't or won't?" Dean asks. Something changes in Gabriel's eyes but he doesn't say anything. "That's what I thought."

Dean opens the Impala's door and climbs out. He pops his head back in and looks at Gracilynn.

"Stay here. Keep a look out," Dean says, shutting the door before she can argue. Gracilynn huffs, watching her dad enter the hotel again. Gracilynn turns back to Gabriel, staring him down.

"What?" Gabriel asks, not sure what to expect from a female Winchester.

"Ya know, my dad and uncle have been fighting again both heaven and hell for almost two years now. And yet, they still do it, even though their options are running out. Hell, all of you douchebag angels keep hounding my dad to kill his brother, including you. So, I find it very ironic that you keep pushing my dad to do what you can't. You are a hypocrite," Gracilynn says. Gabriel raises his eyebrows, not sure what to say.

"Killing my brother is not my destiny," Gabriel finally says.

"Screw destiny!" Gracilynn yells. "Everyone said it was my destiny to become easy and a whore because my dad wasn't around. Now I'm with my dad fighting evil sons of bitches, saving people, and, unfortunately, dealing with dickless douchebags like you."

"You're overstepping your boundaries little girl," Gabriel says, getting angry.

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Gracilynn says. "Do it. 'Cause when my dad finds out, he'll hunt your ass down and kill you before he gives the apocalypse another thought."

Gabriel just looks at her, knowing she's right; on everything that she's said. Gracilynn meets his gaze with a stubborn gaze of her own.

"If a couple of nobody humans can sack up and take on the devil then an _angel_ should definitely have to sack to do it," Gracilynn says, stare never wavering. Gabriel looks at her a moment longer before sighing.

"Damn you Winchesters," Gabriel says before disappearing. Gracilynn blinks, looking around, letting out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Damn Gracilynn. You've definitely been around dad and Uncle Sam too long if you're starting to lecture an angel," Gracilynn mutters to herself, turning around and watching the hotel doors.

Ten minutes later, the hotel doors open and out run Dean, Sam, and Kali. Dean and Sam run to their respective doors, but Kali stops, staring at the car in disgust.

"I'm not getting in that thing," she says adamantly.

"Just get in the car, princess," Dean says impatiently. Sam opens the door for Kali and she climbs in the backseat. Sam then climbs into the front passenger seat next to Gracilynn, followed by Dean climbing in to the drivers' seat. Dean starts up the car and drives off.

Dean, Sam, and Gracilynn are standing next to the Impala with Sam's laptop on the top of it. Dean has just put in the DVD Gabriel gave them, Casa Erotica 13.

"Dear Diary, being a high powered business president is super-fun. But _so_ exhausting. Sometimes, I just need to relax. I need Casa Erotica," an interior monologue says. There is a knock at the door.

"Room service!" a voice yells.

"Come in!" the woman on the screen yells back.

"Gabriel wanted you to guard this with your life?" Sam asks, not sure if he wants to watch this.

"Maybe he's a fan," Dean says, then mumbles to Sam. "It is a good one."

The door to the hotel room opens and Gabriel appears on screen wearing a mustache and a service waiters' outfit. Gracilynn raises her eyebrows. _Seriously?_

"I've got the grilled bass you ordered," Gabriel says.

"Ooh. Polish?" the woman says.

"Earmuffs," Dean says to Gracilynn.

"What am I eight?" Gracilynn counters only to feel two large hands be placed over her ears. She looks behind her to see her uncle and lets out a grumble.

"Hungarian," Gabriel says, throwing the dish towel on the mantle. The camera cuts away from them and all you can hear is Gabriel kissing the woman. Sam and Dean have identical disturbed expressions on their faces. The camera pans back on to Gabriel and the woman. He is kissing her passionately while simultaneously beginning to feel her up and down erotically. Dean instantly puts a hand over Gracilynn's eyes and both Gabriel and the woman begin moaning.

"Dad," Gracilynn whines. Dean ignores her, keeping a hand on her eyes.

"What the hell's going on?" Sam asks, keeping his "earmuffs" over Gracilynn's ears. Gabriel turns to the camera and removes his mustache, beginning to speak. Dean takes off his hand followed by Sam removing his hands on her ears.

"Sam, Dean. You're probably wondering what the hell is going on. Hopefully, your daughter isn't around. Well, if you're watching this, I'm dead. Oh please! Stop sobbing it's embarrassing for all of us. Without me, you've got zero shot at killing Lucifer, sorry! But can trap him. The cage you sprung Lucifer from? It's still down there. And maybe, just maybe, you can shove his ass back in. Not that it'll be easy. You gotta get the cage open, trick my bro back into it. And uh, oh yeah, avoid Michael and the God Squad. But hey, details, right? And here's the big secret, Lucifer himself doesn't even know - the key to the cage? It's out there. Actually it's keys, plural. Four keys, well, four rings. From the Horsemen. You get 'em all, you got the cage. Can't say I'm betting on you boys. But, uh, hey! I've been wrong before. And Dean, you were right. I was afraid to stand up to my brother, not anymore," Gabriel says, then stands up. "So this is me, standing up. And this is, me, lying down."

Gabriel grabs the woman on the screen and throws him and her onto the bed. Sam and Dean instantly replace their hands without a second thought. Gabriel begins making love to the woman on the bed with him. Dean and Sam look confused at first, but then it instantly turns to disturbed.

"Oh, uh, oh! Oh man!" Sam exclaims as Dean quickly shuts the laptop with his free hand. He turns to look at Sam.

"Horsemen, huh? Well we got War's. We nicked Famine's. That's two down. Collect all four?" Dean asks. Sam nods his head in agreement.

"All we need is Pestilence and Death," Dean says.

"Oh, is that all?" Sam says sarcastically.

"It's a plan," Dean says. Sam nods his head in agreement again. A hand shoots up in the hair.

"Uh…hello?" Gracilynn says impatiently. "Please tell me you're still not watching this. That's kinda disturbing."

Dean and Sam smirk at her, taking their hands off her eyes and ears. Gracilynn blinks and looks over at the laptop, thankfully finding it closed.

"All right, let's get outta here," Dean says. Sam grabs his laptop and walks around the car to the passenger seat. Gracilynn gives the laptop one last offending look and then climbs into the back seat. One thing was for sure, she never wanted to see the image of Gabriel in _that_ ever again.

Hope ya liked it! Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	35. I've Got Nothing

Here's the next chapter! Just think, only 2 more days till Supernatural comes back!

Gracilynn stumbles over the threshold of the new hotel they were staying at. She would've face planted into the floor but Dean grabs her arm, holding her up. Gracilynn mumbles a thanks and, dropping her bag on the floor, goes to one of the beds and climbs on top of it. Dean snorts and picks up her bag in the middle of the walk way and sets it off to the side. He looks over and sees she's already fast asleep. Sam walks in to the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Where's Gracilynn?" Sam asks tiredly, not seeing her. Dean points to the bed and Sam looks over to see her passed out on top of the blankets.

They had retrieved Pestilence's ring, but things had gone South quickly. Once they ganked him and got the ring, Dean all but threw Sam and Gracilynn into the Impala and took off, trying to put as much space between them and that town. Neither one of them had gotten much sleep, what with Dean driving and Sam and Gracilynn still being high on adrenaline. Even after the adrenaline wore off and Dean tried to get them to take a nap, they still stayed awake. Needless to say, they were all exhausted.

"Hey," Dean says, lightly smacking Sam in the arm. Sam looks over at him, being pulled from his thoughts. "Set up the salt lines and then we can hit the sack."

Sam nods his head, setting his bag at the foot of his bed. He grabs the salt container out of the weapons bag and begins pouring it across the windows and door. He looks over to see Dean take of Gracilynn's shoes and coat. Dean tosses the coat onto one of the chairs and drops the shoes at the foot of the bed. As careful as he can, without waking her up, Dean pulls the covers out from under Gracilynn and lays them over top of her. He looks over at Sam and sees him putting the salt container away and begins taking his own shoes and coat off. Dean follows suit and the two of them crawl into bed, letting out identical sighs of comfort, instantly falling asleep.

Gracilynn blinks her eyes open relieved the sun isn't shining in her face. She sits up in bed and yawns, stretching her arms in to the air. She looks around the pitch black room, trying to make out her surroundings. She sees two beds, each with a large lump lying in them. She looks outside, noticing it is still dark out.

"That's weird," Gracilynn says, trying to figure out why she feels so refreshed if it's still dark out. She looks at the clock and it reads 11:23. "Huh."

Gracilynn climbs out of bed and heads to the bathroom. Washing her hands, she comes to the conclusion she must have slept the whole day away. She realizes she's still in her clothes and reaches into her pants pocket pulling out her phone and looking at the date. She does a double take when she sees the time.

"11:24. AM," Gracilynn says, surprised. She walks back out in to the dark room and over to the window. She peers outside and can't see anything except blackness. "'The hell?"

There is movement behind her and Gracilynn turns around and sees one of the lumps on the bed closest to the door move. Gracilynn carefully walks over to one of the lamps and turns it on. Dean squints as the light hits his eyes. He sees Gracilynn up and looks at the clock next to his bed. He then looks over at the window where he saw her standing, seeing it pitch black outside.

"Did we sleep all day?" Dean asks, sitting up in bed. Gracilynn and Dean look over when they hear Sam groan, sitting up in his own bed.

"Dad, it's…" Gracilynn begins, looking at the clock before continuing, "11:31."

"Okay, so we did sleep all day," Dean says, running a hand through his hair.

"No, dad. It's 11:31 _AM_," Gracilynn says. Dean and Sam look at her like she's gone nuts. Sam glances outside.

"Right," Dean says, pointing towards the window.

"I see Dad. Look at your phone," Gracilynn says. Dean makes a face but looks at his phone, Sam looking at his own phone as well.

"Huh. Something must be wrong with our phones," Dean says, glancing back outside.

"All three of them? At the same time?" Gracilynn asks disbelievingly. "Something's going on here."

"There must be a glitch or something with the phone carrier," Sam offers.

"Okay Einsteins, then how do you explain this?" Gracilynn asks, walking over to the window and pulling the curtains back.

"Explain what? The dark? I thought we already did," Dean says. Gracilynn rolls her eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"No, the fact that there's _nothing_ in the sky. If it is 11:30 at night, wouldn't there be a moon? Stars?" Gracilynn asks.

"What?" Dean and Sam ask in unison, climbing out of bed and meeting Gracilynn at the window. They peer outside and realize there is, in fact, no moon or stars out in the sky. It's just complete blackness.

"'The hell?" Dean says. Sam walks over to the table and picks up the remote, turning the television on.

"_It is 11:42 in the morning and as you can see out your window, there is no sun. Astrologists aren't sure why this phenomenon is happening but are working around the clock to figure it out. Schools and stores alike are being closed for the day for safety reasons until further information can be provided. Law enforcement is encouraging people to please take extreme caution and only go out when you need to…"_

Dean and Sam meet each others' gaze, knowing this isn't good.

"Told you," Gracilynn says and Dean and Sam look over at her. Sam turns the TV off and walks back over to where his brother and niece are standing.

"So…?" Sam asks, not sure what to make of this.

"I…I…" Dean stutters, trying to think of something. "I have no clue."

"This has to be Apocalypse related right?" Sam asks.

"Has to be," Dean agrees.

"So what? Demon?" Gracilynn asks.

"Don't know. Can a demon do something like this?" Dean says. Sam just gives Dean a lost expression.

"God maybe?" Sam offers. "We've just dealt with that whole god thing back at that hotel."

"Maybe," Dean says. "All right. Sam you call Bobby. I'll call Cas."

"Bobby's got nothing," Sam says, "But said he'd look into it and call back when he finds something."

Dean nods his head, hanging up his own phone and tossing it on the bed.

"Cas doesn't know either. Said he'd look into it as well," Dean replies.

"So now what do we do?" Gracilynn asks, sitting on the arm of the armchair.

"Now, I guess, we do some research ourselves," Sam says. Gracilynn lets out a groan.

"I was hoping you weren't gonna say that," she says.

"Yeah, well three extra brains could break the case," Dean says.

"You say that like you have a brain," Gracilynn replies, sliding off the chair and heading over to the bed. Sam snorts, pulling out some books from one of their bags.

"You say that like you have a brain," Dean says mockingly, giving her a playful shove towards her bed. He grabs a book from Sam and tosses it onto Gracilynn's bed in front of her. "Just sit down and look through that will ya?"

Gracilynn smirks and grabs the book on her bed. She sprawls out, making herself comfortable and opens it up, beginning to read. Sam takes a seat at the table with his laptop and begins typing stuff into the search engine, while Dean takes a couple of books and lies down on his bed, his back resting against the wall.

"I've got nothing," Dean says frustrated, tossing the book to the foot of the bed. Sam looks up from the computer. He rubs a hand across his face and sighs.

"Yeah, me neither," Sam says. Dean looks over to his daughters' bed where she fell asleep about a half hour ago.

"You find anything Gracie?" Dean yells at her. Gracilynn startles awake, catching the book on her lap before it falls.

"Huh? What? Uh…yeah I'm still looking," she says, looking down at the book in front of her, blinking her eyes into focus. Dean snorts, getting up from his bed and walking over. He grabs the book from her and flips it right side up.

"How 'bout now?" he asks with a smirk.

"Oh," Gracilynn says, wiping her eyes and tossing the book on the bed. "I can't find anything."

Sam's phone starts ringing and he looks at the caller ID. He gives Dean a look before answering it and putting it on speaker.

"Hey, Bobby," Sam says, "You're on speaker."

"I think I've found somethin'," Bobby says.

"So, what is it? A demon? A god?" Dean asks.

"Boy will you let me finish," Bobby says.

"Sorry," Dean mumbles earning a smirk from his daughter.

"It's more like a creature. Well, two of them. They're wolves from Norse mythology and they come around…" Bobby says.

"Let me guess, during the Apocalypse," Dean says.

"Yeah. They're called Skoll and Hati and during the end of days they come around. Says here Skoll swallows the sun while Hati swallows the moon," Bobby explains.

"What? They _swallow_ the sun and moon?" Gracilynn asks.

"That's what it says," Bobby replies.

"Do we know how to kill it?" Dean asks.

"Not sure yet. I'll keep looking and let you know when I find something," Bobby answers.

"All right, thanks Bobby," Sam says, hanging up the phone. He sets it on the table next to him and starts typing on his computer.

"There's not much here," Sam says, "Just the same stuff Bobby was telling us."

"Awesome," Dean says.

"What about the colt?" Gracilynn asks. Dean and Sam look over at her. "I mean it can kill any Supernatural being right?"

"Yeah. Oh, except for the devil," Dean answers sardonically.

"But it could kill them right?" Gracilynn asks.

"Yeah, we just have to find out who they are," Sam says, pointing out.

"What if they're actual wolves?" Dean asks.

"Maybe," Sam says, "But you would think if there were a couple of wolves roaming around there would be something in the papers. Someone would've said something, right?"

"Yeah," Dean says, thinking.

"Well, what if it can turn into a wolf?" Gracilynn says.

"What? Like a werewolf?" Dean asks.

"No, more like a shapeshifter?" Gracilynn says, not really sure herself. "I mean if they're human, then no one would think anything of it if two people came strolling into town."

"She's got a point Dean," Sam says, sharing a look with his brother.

"All right. Well, I guess we ask around. See if any new people besides us has come into town," Dean says, standing up and grabbing his coat. Sam shuts down his computer and follows Dean's lead. Gracilynn throws her coat on and walks after her dad, Sam shutting the door behind them.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	36. It Made Me Want To Puke

Here's the next chapter for ya'll! Enjoy!

Dean pulls into a parking spot on Main Street, cutting the engine and turning off the lights. It had taken them longer than he would've liked to get in to town what with it being pitch black out. Dean climbs out of the Impala and feels his way to the trunk. Sam and Gracilynn follow him to the back and watch humorously as he tries to unlock the trunk.

"Dammit. Stupid wolves eating the damn sun and moon," Dean grumbles.

"Here," Gracilynn says, pulling out her phone and clicking on her flashlight app. She shines the light onto the trunk and Dean quickly unlocks and opens it up. Gracilynn continues to shine the light in to the trunk as Dean opens up the hidden compartment and searches around, pulling out three flashlights. He hands one to Gracilynn and one to Sam, keeping the other for himself.

"All right. Sam you head that in that direction. Gracie and I'll head in this direction. Go into any building that's open, definitely hotels though," Dean says. Sam nods and heads in the direction Dean pointed. Dean grabs Gracilynn's jacket and leads her in the opposite direction. "Stay close. Even with the flashlights it's hard to see anything out here."

"You think it's safe for us to split up?" Gracilynn asks, glancing behind them at the light walking away from them. Dean stops and glances behind them at the light as well.

"Yeah. Sure," Dean says, not sure if he really believes it. He looks over at his daughter before pulling his phone out.

"_Yeah_?" Sam says on the other line.

"Hey, just…just keep in touch alright?" Dean says, watching the light as it stops for a moment.

"_You worried Dean_?" Sam asks with a smirk.

"Me? No. Gracie's just having a little problem with separation anxiety," Dean says, earning a smack in the arm from said person.

"_I'm sure_," Sam replies, hanging up the phone. Dean puts his phone back in his pocket, giving Gracilynn a smile.

"Can we go now?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, whatever," Gracilynn says, knowing her dad was just as unsure as she was. She begins walking forward and Dean follows her, glancing behind him one last time to see the light begin walking away again.

"He knows something," Dean says as he and Gracilynn exit a motel lobby and step out onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah, he does," Gracilynn says, seeing the same thing her dad had.

"Of course we had to get the kid who's Mr. Follow the Rules," Dean says with aggravation. Gracilynn looks back at the kid standing behind the counter. He was only about seventeen and Gracilynn didn't overlook the fact he kept checking her out.

"I bet I can get him to give us what we want," Gracilynn says. Dean looks over at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Really?" Dean asks.

"Twenty bucks," Gracilynn says, walking backwards with a smirk. Dean waves a hand.

"By all means," Dean says.

Gracilynn turns around and enters back in to the motel lobby and walks up to the desk. Gracilynn leans on it and shoots him a smile. If her uncle was here, he would've said it was the same smile her dad would give girls he was flirting with. The kid looks up and smiles awkwardly at her, not knowing what to think. Gracilynn glances at his tag quickly before speaking.

"Aaron? Right?" Gracilynn asks. Aaron nods his head. "You should really start wearing shirts that are a little tighter."

"Uh…wh…what?" Aaron asks, taken off guard by the statement.

"Well, yeah, I mean, you _obviously_ work out," Gracilynn says, making it a point to look at his arms.

"Well…I…uh…yeah, a little," Aaron says, laughing nervously.

"Maybe I could help ya find something and you could show me around town," Gracilynn says.

"Uh…yeah, sure," Aaron says, smiling. He glances outside and sees Dean waiting on the sidewalk and his smile falters. Gracilynn glances behind her at her dad and looks back at Aaron.

"Don't worry about my dad," Gracilynn says, pulling Aaron's attention back on her. Gracilynn shoots him a devilish smirk. "He thinks I'm in here asking for directions."

"Won't he suspect something if you don't come back with directions?" Aaron asks, giving Dean another look.

"No, 'cause I already know how to get there," Gracilynn says, biting her bottom lip.

"Oh," Aaron says.

"But he will get suspicious if all I do is come in here and talk to you. You should prolly pretend to look up something on the computer," Gracilynn says, leaning forward a little bit more.

"Um…yeah," Aaron says, immediately beginning to look at his computer. "Um…what should I look up?"

_Oh my God. Are you serious? This kid is ridiculous._

"Well, you could look up those two men who came in here last night," Gracilynn says, pretending to straighten the kids' shirt. "Find out their names and what room their in."

"Uh…I probably…" Aaron begins. Gracilynn leans farther on the counter, bringing her face close to Aarons.

"What else are you gonna look up?" Gracilynn says, giving Aaron the flirtatious smile she walked in with, staring him directly in the eyes.

"Um…uh…yeah, I think I can do that," Aaron says, beginning to type in something on his keyboard. Gracilynn looks over at the screen and sees two names pop up. "Uh…their names are Saul and Harry Hatskoll."

"Hatskoll?" Gracilynn asks. _Really? That's not obvious_.

"Yeah," Aaron says, "They're in room six hundred sixty six."

"That's so…predictable," Gracilynn says.

"What?" Aaron asks. Gracilynn immediately shoots him her smile.

"Nothing. Thanks. I should get back before my dad comes in to get me," Gracilynn says, sliding off the counter and beginning to walk backwards.

"Wait, I don't have your number. How do I call you?" Aaron says. _Naturally. Now he gets smart_. Gracilynn walks back and picks up a pen. She grabs his hand and rights down her phone number. She hands the pen back with a smile and turns around walking out the door.

Dean watches as Gracilynn walks back in to the lobby and up to the counter. He sees her lean up against the counter and say something, resulting in the kid to turn a slight shade of pink. He makes a face, recognizing the body language his daughter is purposely using. He had seen it many times before only on females _he_ is flirting with. He looks away and down the street. _Great. My daughter is throwing herself at some guy to get information. Awesome_. He looks back over towards the counter in time to see Gracilynn straighten the kids shirt, resulting in a goofy grin coming from the kid. Dean shakes his head. Gracilynn leans further on the counter, bringing her face within inches of the kid.

"Okay, this has gone on long enough," Dean says, fully intent on marching in there and grabbing Gracilynn and dragging her out of there. Halfway to the door, he stops when he sees the kid begin typing into his computer. He waits a minute and sees Gracilynn begin to back away. "It's about time."

Gracilynn stops. Dean notices her body language change slightly, but only just. Most other people wouldn't have picked up on it. She walks back to the counter, picking up a pen and writing something on the kids' hand. She puts the pen down and makes her way out of the lobby and over to him.

"I was fine, you didn't have to come in," Gracilynn says as they walk away from the front doors.

"I didn't. I was outside the whole time," Dean says, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You were halfway inside when I came out here," Gracilynn points out.

"Can you blame me? That…that was…" Dean says, trying to come up with a good word for it, but only one coming to mind, "Disgusting."

Gracilynn lifts an eyebrow.

"I got the information we needed didn't I?" Gracilynn says.

"It made me want to puke. You were practically throwing yourself at the guy," Dean says, making a face. Gracilynn snorts.

"Don't worry dad. I won't turn into one of those girls you hook up with all the time," Gracilynn says smirking. Dean glares at her. "Besides, you owe me twenty bucks."

"Nuh-uh," Dean says.

"What? We made a bet," Gracilynn says.

"Consider it reparations for emotional trauma," Dean says, remembering a time when he had said the same thing to Sam. That time it was the Impala. His baby. _Huh, guess this time it deals with my baby too_. Dean smirks and walks ahead of her, satisfied with the scowl she shot at him.

"That is so unfair," Gracilynn whines, quickly catching up to her dad.

"Hey, you guys find out anything?" Sam asks, walking up to Dean and Gracilynn, both leaning up against the side of the car.

"Yeah, I did," Gracilynn says.

"So did I," Dean says sarcastically. Gracilynn rolls her eyes.

"What happened?" Sam asks, not so sure he wants to know.

"There are two guys passing as brothers. They're staying at the motel a few blocks down. They're going by…get this Saul and Harry Hatskoll," Gracilynn says.

"Hatskoll? As in Hati and Skoll?" Sam asks, shaking his head. "Original."

"Yeah. Oh and get this…they're staying in room six hundred sixty six," Gracilynn says.

"You'd think they wouldn't be so obvious," Sam says.

"That's what I thought," Gracilynn says.

"So what did you find out?" Sam asks his brother.

"Nothing," Gracilynn says, "He's just being ridiculous."

"Oh, yeah, that's exactly what I'm being," Dean says sarcastically.

"Uh…okay," Sam says, eyeing his niece and brother.

"What she didn't tell you is how she got the information," Dean says.

"Okay, so how did she get the information?" Sam asks, seeing Gracilynn huff and cross her arms. _Oh, this is gonna be good_.

"She walked in there like a cat in heat," Dean says. Gracilynn rolls her eyes.

"Oh, come on. You're over reacting." Dean shoots Gracilynn a look and she stops talking.

"She was practically throwing herself at the guy. Thought they were gonna start making out right there on the damn counter," Dean says.

"It was not that bad," Gracilynn says. Not that he liked the idea of Gracilynn throwing herself at a guy to get information, but he had to admit, the whole situation was humorous if only for the fact that Dean looked like he was about to be sick.

"So, in other words, she was doing what you always do to get information?" Sam asks.

"Yeah…wait, no. What?" Dean says, caught off guard by the question.

"Well, it is what you do all the time," Sam points out.

"Whose side are you on here?" Dean asks.

"I'm just saying," Sam says, raising his hands in submission. Sam looks over at Gracilynn. "So, did you have to give him your number?"

Dean glares at Sam a second longer before turning to look at his daughter, remembering he saw her write something on the guys hand before leaving.

"You did, didn't you?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, I did," Gracilynn says, shrugging it off.

"So, now you're gonna have some lovesick puppy calling you all the time?" Dean asks, then looking at Sam. "This kid was bad Sam. He was…well, he was you in middle school. In fact, he was you in high school too."

Sam gives him his patented Bitch-face before turning back to face Gracilynn. Dean smirks at his own joke, turning to look at his daughter as well.

"You gave him you're number didn't you?" Dean asks.

"Hell, no. I'm not that stupid," Gracilynn says.

"So, what did you write on his hand?" Dean asks confused.

"Oh, I gave him a phone number, just not mine," Gracilynn says.

"Whose number did you give him?" Dean asks, hoping to God she didn't give him his number.

"The first one that popped into my head," Gracilynn says, smirking before climbing into the backseat of the car. Dean and Sam share a look, Sam hoping the same think Dean was. One thing was for sure, if she gave him either one of their numbers, they were definitely changing them.

Aaron watches as Gracilynn walks out of the lobby, meeting up with her dad. They talked for a minute before they begin to walk off. He looks down at the number with a grin. He had never thought a girl like that would even be remotely interested in him and now he had her number. He studies the number on his hand, his brow furrowing. He didn't know why, but it looked familiar. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began copying it down. He didn't want it to wash off when he washed his hands. He holds the paper up, looking at the number once more.

"8-6-7-5-3-0-9. Why does that sound so familiar?" Aaron says. He shrugs and puts the piece of paper in his pocket, planning on calling her when his shift was over.

Please review and let me know what ya'll think!


	37. Screw Being Prepared

Here's the next chapter for ya guys! So what did you all think of the episode this week?

"Okay, so now what do we do?" Gracilynn asks from her position, sprawled out on her dad's bed. Dean scrubs a hand over his face, sitting at the table next to Sam who's researching on his computer.

"See if Bobby has anything," Dean says. "We know who these things are and where they are. We have the colt but I'd rather not go in there with just one weapon for the three of us."

"Wait, you actually wanna go in prepared?" Gracilynn asks, earning a dark look from her dad. She puts her hands up in surrender. "Just sayin'."

"Well, don't," Dean replies.

"Geez, what's got your panties all in a bunch?" Gracilynn asks.

"Someone's being a smartass," Dean counters.

"I was just _flirting_ with him dad. It's not like I had sex with him," Gracilynn says.

"I thought this conversation was done," Dean says, peering over Sam's shoulder at the laptop screen.

"So did I, but somethin's bothering you," Gracilynn says.

"I'm fine Gracilynn," Dean says. Gracilynn sighs resignedly. She grabs her phone and coat and heads to the door. Dean's head whips up.

"Where the hell are you going?" he asks.

"I'm calling Uncle Bobby. See if he has anything," Gracilynn says opening the door and stepping outside.

"Don't leave the Impala! It's still pitch black out!" Dean yells after her as she shuts the door. He watches the door for a minute before peering outside and seeing a figure sitting on the hood of the car. Sam looks over at him, watching him for a moment. Dean turns around and sees Sam looking at him.

"What?" he asks.

"You're still pissed about her flirting?" Sam asks.

"No," Dean says, taking a seat in the arm chair and watching out the window. Sam looks at him, believing him but knowing something's up.

"Then what is it?" Sam asks.

"Nothing," Dean replies. Sam's jaw tenses. He forces it to loosen before speaking again.

"Well, obviously it's something. Last time you started acting this way you turned out to be a shapeshifter," Sam points out.

"She didn't even hesitate," Dean says, still looking out the window.

"What?" Sam asks, confused at the statement.

"She saw we needed the information and she didn't even hesitate to do what she had to do to get it. She lied and cheated to get it. And she was good at it," Dean says, finally looking over at his brother.

"Okay," Sam says, trying to figure out where Dean is going with this.

"She's knee deep in this life and she's taking it head on Sam. She's sixteen years old. She shouldn't have to do this. She shouldn't have to do what I… I never wanted this for her," Dean says, looking back out the window. Sam sighs.

"You're right. She _is_ knee deep in this. She _is_ taking it head on. And, no. She shouldn't have to do it. But she's so much like you its' scary. You can't make her stop. She's too stubborn; she'll fight you every inch of the way. And she cares about her family; she's not gonna leave us. And if that means she has to be in this life for that to happen then she's gonna do what she has to do. It sucks, I know. I don't want this for her either. She should be able to go to college. Get a job. Have a boyfriend. Hell, get married and have kids. But you try telling her that. She'll react the same way you would if someone told you the same thing," Sam says, looking his brother in the eye. It's Dean's turn to sigh this time.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Doesn't mean I have to like it," he says, looking back out the window to see Gracilynn climb off the hood of the Impala and make her way to the motel door.

"Wouldn't expect you to," Sam says.

"Hey Uncle Bobby. You find anything for us yet?" Gracilynn asks over the phone.

"_No, not yet sweetheart_," Bobby answers. After a pause he speaks again. "_You all right_?"

"Yeah, dad's just being grumpy," Gracilynn says, climbing up onto the hood of the impala.

"_All right. Who was it? You? Sam? Cas? Or someone I don't even know_?" Bobby asks. Gracilynn smirks, looking over at the motel room, seeing her dad peer out of the window.

"Me, I guess," Gracilynn answers.

"_What happened_?" Bobby asks, pushing his book to the side, giving Gracilynn his undivided attention. Gracilynn watches the window as her dad sits in the arm chair in front of it, obviously keeping a watch out for her.

"We were trying to get information outta this kid but he wasn't budging. He was like the king of "I-don't-break-rules. So, when dad went outside I flirted with him and got the information myself," Gracilynn says. "Wasn't expecting it to bug him this much. I mean he seemed fine after he threw his little hissy fit and we all got in the car. But after we got back to the motel room he started getting really grumpy."

"_Put yourself in your daddy's shoes. You're his baby girl. No dad wants to see his baby throwing themselves at some guy_," Bobby explains. "_But something tells me there's more to this than just that_."

"What's that?" Gracilynn asks.

"_It's just a hunch, but something tells me your daddy isn't liking you getting so involved in hunting_," Bobby says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gracilynn asks.

"_Well, this isn't the life your daddy wants for you. He doesn't want you on the brink of dying every time you walk out the door. Go on a hunt. He doesn't want you running from the cops all the time and driving on the road your whole life. I'm sure your uncle doesn't want that for ya too. Hell, I don't want that for ya_," Bobby explains.

"I'm not leaving them Uncle Bobby. They're my family. You all are. I'm staying with them. And if that means I have to be a hunter than that's what it means," Gracilynn says.

"_I know. I figured you'd say that_," Bobby says. "_Just, take it easy on your dad. He's got a lot on his plate and seeing you become a hunter before his eyes ain't gonna be easy on him_."

"Yeah, okay, Uncle Bobby," Gracilynn says. "Thanks."

"_Any time kid_," Bobby says, hanging up the phone. Gracilynn climbs off the hood of the Impala and puts her cell phone back in her pocket, making her way to the motel door.

Halfway there, she freezes, having heard a noise behind her. She turns around but doesn't see anything. She squints into the darkness, trying to find anything, even a shadow. Still not seeing anything she turns back around, looking around before continuing towards the room. She hears the noise again and she stops, her eyes instantly shooting towards the motel room window, seeing her dad getting up from his chair by the window. She feels the breath on her neck moments before arms reach around and grab her from behind.

"Da…!" Gracilynn screams, but is cut off by a hand covering her mouth.

After seeing Gracilynn begin to walk towards the motel room, Dean turns his attention back on his brother. He watches him, still typing things into his search engine and clicking on links, trying to find some way to kill these bastards. He looks towards the door, wondering what is taking Gracilynn so long. Dean sighs, standing up from his chair and beginning to make his way over to the table.

"Da…!" Dean's head whips around, looking directly at the door at hearing a yell being cut off. Sam hears it too and his head whips up to look at the door as well.

"What was that?" Sam asks, a pit in his stomach. Dean doesn't say anything, just rushes to the door and flings it open. He takes a step outside and looks around, feeling Sam come up behind him.

"Gracie!?" Dean yells, looking around the parking lot. Sam looks around as well, not seeing anything. Dean immediately makes his way over to the Impala, not seeing her there as well. "Gracie!"

"Gracilynn!" Sam yells, walking over towards the snack and drink machines, but not seeing anything. Sam turns around and heads back towards Dean, not needing to see his face to know what it looks like.

"Gracie!" Dean turns around and looks at his brother. "Where the hell is she Sam?"

"I…" Sam begins, but doesn't finish, knowing it's not what his brother wants to hear right now. He looks around the parking lot again. "Gracilynn!"

"You think those bastards…?" Dean asks.

"How would they know…?" Sam counters. Dean runs a hand through his hair and down his face.

"Screw being prepared. We know where they are. Grab our bags Sam. I'll get the colt," Dean says, already heading towards the Impala's trunk. Sam doesn't hesitate, heading inside the room and quickly grabbing the weapons bag. He exits the room, shutting the door behind him and heading straight to the Impala. He throws the bag in the back seat and climbs in the front as Dean starts it up. He looks over at Sam, sharing a look, before taking off. One thing was for sure, no way in hell were they letting some psycho light eating wolves wannabe humans going to mess with Gracilynn without dealing with the consequences. And they were damn good at consequences.

Please review!


	38. It's More Than That

Here's a longer chapter! Hope you like it!

Gracilynn struggles against her bonds, holding her in the chair. Two men, whom she has come to the conclusion are Hati and Skoll are standing in front of her.

"You really think those two hunters will come after her Skoll?" the brunette asks.

"I'm positive," the blonde haired one, Skoll, replies.

"You better hope they don't," Gracilynn says.

"Oh, really? And why's that?" Skoll asks mockingly.

"'Cause kidnapping me's gonna be the last thing you do," Gracilynn replies with a cocky grin.

"Something tells me their heads aren't going to be completely in the _hunt_," Skoll replies.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Gracilynn asks.

"They seem to care about you a lot. They'll be worried. Half of their thoughts will be focused on that," Skoll replies with his own cocky grin. Gracilynn's smirk waivers slightly, knowing he's completely right, but she places it firmly back in to place.

"Even if that was true, they'd still be able to kill you. They really aren't the smartest hunters to piss off. They tend to turn deadly when it happens. And…you _really_ pissed them off," Gracilynn says, staring both Skoll and Hati dead in the eyes.

"Well, then maybe we should refocus them, huh?" Hati says with an evil grin. Skoll looks over at him and matches his grin with one of their own. _Okay, that took a complete u-turn. Crap._

Dean parks the Impala a block away from the hotel and climbs out of the car. Sam climbs out as well, shutting the door behind him. He turns around and looks over at Dean.

"So, what's the plan? We only have one gun," Sam says.

"I'll play bait. You kill the evil sons of bitches," Dean says, "Pretty simple."

Sam nods his head, not liking the plan but not having anything better. The two of them make their way towards the hotel, being careful to keep in the shadows and out of sight. They enter the hotel lobby, but the place in deserted. They share a look, not liking how this is going already. Dean pulls out the colt and hands it to Sam, leading the way up the stairs, not wanting the elevator to announce their arrival.

As they reach the top o the stairs, they hear a scream. They freeze and Sam looks up at his brother, seeing his whole body tense. He knew that voice, and he damn well knew Dean knew that voice. Dean flattens himself up against the wall next to the door and looks down at his brother.

"They're playing with us," Sam says.

"I know," Dean says, his jaw tense and pure hatred emanating from his eyes. "Just make sure you kill them."

With that, Dean slowly opens the door and sneaks out in to the hallway, quickly pointing his gun both ways. He hears another scream to his left and he whips around, looking down the hall. Not seeing anything, he quickly creeps towards the end of the hall, stopping when he hears voices coming from a room. Dean peers behind him, making sure no one is following him. He sets his gun on the floor and kneels down in front of the door and makes quick work of the lock. Picking his gun back up, he slowly turns the handle and slips inside the room.

He looks around the room, but finds it empty. Pulling out his gun, he sneaks through the room keeping his eyes and ears open for anything. He hears a noise coming from behind a door to his right and he quietly makes his way over to it. He hears a creak behind him and he freezes, eyes darting to look behind him. His body tenses and he spins around only to feel something crash into him and send his body flying through the door and onto the floor of the bedroom.

Gracilynn looks around the room, trying to find out where she is. Hati and Skoll had left a short time ago to do God knows what, nothing good if their grins had anything to say about it. There's a bed to her right and a door in front of her. She guesses she's in the hotel they found Hati and Skoll in. Suddenly, there's a loud scream coming from behind the door in front of her and she startles slightly. She tries to loosen her bonds, but finds them still tied pretty tight. She struggles against them, trying everything to get them to loosen as she looks around to find something to use to escape. There's another scream and this time Gracilynn really listens to it, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. _That sound a lot like…me?_

"Son of a…" Gracilynn curses, realization dawning on her as she remembers what Skoll had said. _There using my voice to distract them_. Abruptly, there is a loud crash and the door in front of her crashes down and a body flies into the room, crumpling to the floor.

The body on the floor groans and rolls over onto its' back and Gracilynn realizes it's her dad. She hears wood splintering and looks up to see Skoll and Hati walking over the door into the room. Dean pushes himself up on his hands and knees, trying to get his breath back.

"Dad," Gracilynn hisses. Dean looks up in time to see Skoll aim a kick at his midsection, resulting in a sickening crunch and a grunt from Dean. Gracilynn struggles fervently against the ropes tying her to the chair. Skoll grabs Dean by the neck, slamming him into the wall, raising him high enough so his feet leave the ground. "Dad!"

Dean struggles against the hand at his throat, pain shooting to his ribs, hearing his daughter yell. _Dammit Sammy, where are you!_ There is a loud gunshot and Skoll looks up. Sam is standing in the doorway, holding a smoking colt. Hati collapses to the floor, a bullet hole between the eyes. Skoll is furious and Sam shifts the gun to point it at him. Skolls yanks Dean off the wall, wrapping his arm around his neck and holding him in front of him as a shield.

"You have the colt," Skoll growls over the sounds of Dean gasping for air, eyeing the gun in Sam's hand.

"Sammy, kill him," Dean gasps out, effectively earning Skoll to tighten his arm even more. Gracilynn's eyes look from her dad to her uncle, pleading for him to do something.

Sam stares at Skoll, his eyes shooting to his brother when he speaks, noticing how hard his brother is struggling to breath. His eyes return to Skoll, a sneer on his face. He tightens his hold on Dean's neck a little more. Dean grimaces, clawing at Skolls unmovable arm.

"You know what they say, an eye for an eye," Skoll says, glancing down at Hati. Sam scowls. Gracilynn's eyes grow wide, realizing what Skoll is insinuating. "Any last words for your brother?"

"Yeah," Sam says, "Sorry Dean."

Gracilynn's eyes shoot to her uncle. Sam squeezes the trigger, the bullet hitting Dean in the shoulder, jerking him backwards and shoving Skoll into the line of fire. Sam rapidly pulls the trigger again, this time hitting Skoll in the heart. A look of surprise crosses Skolls face before he slumps to the ground. Dean stumbles, grabbing onto the bed with his good arm for support. Sam makes sure Skoll is dead before putting the colt away, his eyes going to Gracilynn.

"You okay?" Sam asks. Gracilynn's gaze shifts from her dad to her uncle, her head nodding. Sam lets out a breath and goes to Dean, pulling out his knife. "Dean?"

"'M fine," Dean grinds out, eyes shut, breathing through the gunshot wound and what seems to be broken ribs. Sam watches him for a second more before cutting Gracilynn's ropes. Sam checks her over, not seeing anything wrong with her except the raw wrists from struggling against the ropes. "Sammy?"

"We're good Dean," Sam answers, knowing exactly what Dean wants to know. "Come on, we need to get outta here."

Sam helps Gracilynn out of the chair before grabbing onto Dean and, bearing most of his weight, heads towards the door.

Dean growls as Sam finally pulls the bullet out of his shoulder. He grabs the bottle of whiskey and takes a long drag, setting it back down on the table in front of him. Sam covers the wound, grabbing a few pieces of tape to hold the gauze in place. Dean looks up at Gracilynn sitting in the seat across from him.

"You all right?" Dean asks, his voice hoarse from being choked. Gracilynn looks up from her hands, her gaze going straight to his bullet wound down to his broken ribs and back up to the already bruising neck. "Hey."

Gracilynn's eyes move to look at his face. Dean sees a jumble of emotions in her eyes before she covers it up quickly. There's a click and her gaze shifts to the table where Sam is putting the First Aid kit away.

"Gracie?" Dean asks again, effectively pulling her attention back onto him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gracilynn replies, looking back at her dad, any trace of the emotions Dean saw before, gone completely. Dean's jaw tightens, knowing her answer isn't anyway close to the truth, wanting to call her out on it.

"We should go," he says instead, "Pack your things. We leave in ten."

"Yeah, okay," Gracilynn says, getting up from her seat and beginning to gather all of her things.

"How's your ribs?" Sam asks, grabbing Dean's chin and checking his neck. Dean swats his hand away.

"I'm fine Sam," Dean says, trying to stifle a grimace as he stands up. This time, it's Sam's turn to tighten his jaw.

"Sure you are," Sam says, standing up and beginning to put everything on the table into the bag on the floor. Dean turns towards the door at hearing movement near there. Gracilynn, with her bag over her shoulder, grabs his bag, throwing it over her shoulder as well.

"I'm gonna throw these in the trunk," Gracilynn says, opening the door.

"Hey, don't…" Dean begins, his heart beating faster. He silently curses himself for being so paranoid. _It's not like she's gonna disappear just walking out to the car. Oh, yeah, that's right. She already did_. "Just…wait, okay?"

Gracilynn stares at him for a moment before nodding her head and shutting the door. She drops the bags on the floor and takes a seat on the arm of the armchair by the window. Sam throws the weapons bag and his own bag next to Gracilynn and Dean's before completing a once over of the room.

"Got everything?" Dean asks.

"Yeah," Sam replies, grabbing his and the weapons bag. Gracilynn hops of the arm of the chair and throws the rest of the bags over her shoulder. Dean reaches out with his good hand.

"Here, I got my bag," he says. Gracilynn steps back, scoffing.

"Right, along with a bullet wound and a few broken ribs. Thanks, but _I_ got your bag," Gracilynn says. Dean rolls his eyes and Sam smirks, opening the door, Gracilynn following him out to the car.

Sam pulls into the truck stop, parking the car. They had just picked up their food and had decided to eat at one of the picnic tables across the parking lot. The three of them climb out of the car, Dean keeping his left arm close to his body due to his broken ribs and gun wound. They make their way over to one of the table and sit down, opening their lunch.

As they finish up, Sam's phone rings and he pulls it out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID. He looks up at Dean, meeting his gaze.

"It's Bobby," he says. Dean glances over at Gracilynn, who's looking across the street. Dean nods his head towards the Impala and Sam nods his head in understanding. He answers the call, climbing off the bench and walking towards the car. Gracilynn's head whips around and watches her uncle walk away towards the parking lot, trying to quell the fear in the pit of her stomach. _Calm down, he's not leaving us. Yeah, that's what you thought last time and look where that got you._ Dean notices this, eyebrows scrunched in curiosity. He looks over at Sam standing by the Impala for a moment before returning his gaze back to his daughter sitting across from him. Dean rubs a hand through his hair, letting out a small sigh. Gracilynn turns her gaze on to her dad, knowing he's working up to saying something.

"What?" she asks. Dean glances across the street.

"Ya know, I never wanted this for you," he says.

"What?" Gracilynn asks, eyebrows raised, glancing around. "Fast food? Truck stops?"

"It's more than that," Dean replies, "This life…hell, it sucks. Wasn't something I wanted my kid getting into. You deserve more than this."

"Yeah, well lots of people do," Gracilynn says, eyes burrowing into his, "Doesn't mean we get it."

"Yeah…well, you should," Dean says. Gracilynn furrows her eyebrows.

"I'm not leaving," she says defensively. Dean smirks.

"Yeah, I got that by now," he says, "Doesn't mean I have to like you getting involved in this mess."

"No," Gracilynn agrees, "And you'll remind every few hours or so of that."

"Damn right. And you won't have a choice but to listen," Dean replies, returning her smirk. Gracilynn quirks an eyebrow and Dean's smirk grows. "'Cause I'm handcuffing you to my arm from now on."

Gracilynn rolls her eyes trying to suppress a smile. They hear footsteps and look up to see Sam approaching them, putting his phone back in his pocket. Sam takes his seat next to Gracilynn and Dean and Gracilynn look at him, waiting for him to give them an explanation.

"What'd Bobby want?" Dean asks, patience not being his strong suit.

"Thinks he might have a lead on Pestilence," Sam says.

"Well, what are we waiting for. Let's go," Dean says, getting up from his seat and, glancing behind him at them, heads towards the Impala. Gracilynn climbs off her seat and all but runs after him, catching up and walking next to him. Sam sighs, looking at the garbage left on the table. He quickly picks it up and follows after them, throwing the garbage out in the trash can on his way back to the car.

Please review!


	39. So, Don't Drive Like Dad

Sorry for the long wait guys but I wasn't able to get to a computer before today. As a result, I'll post two chapters today. Enjoy!

Things had gotten _way_ out of hand…again. It seems like out of control was beginning to be a norm for them. Their last job…well, they found out demons were behind _everything_. Uncle Sam was so angry, but even worse, he was hurt. Now? Now, Uncle Sam was saying he was going to say yes to Lucifer and jump into the pit. Gracilynn was going to lose her uncle, and in return her dad, and she was freaking out. Apparently, so was her dad.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean all but yells at his brother. Gracilynn is pulled from her thought, looking over at her dad from her spot on the couch.

"Dean…" Sam begins, but Dean cuts him off.

"...no, don't 'Dean' me. I mean, you…you have had some stupid ideas in the past, But this…" Dean says, then looking at Bobby, "D-Did you know about this?"

"What?" Bobby asks.

"About Sam's genius plan to cram the devil down his throat," Dean says angrily. Bobby nods his head. "Well, thanks for the heads up!"

"Hey, this ain't about me," Bobby says.

"You can't do this," Dean says to Sam.

"That's the consensus," Sam replies.

"All right. Awesome. Then, end of discussion," Dean says, his phone ringing. He points at Sam before answering it. "This isn't over. Hello?"

"Cas?" Dean asks after a pause. Gracilynn's ears perk up at hearing the angels' name.

"Is he okay?" Sam asks.

"We all thought you were Dead. Where the hell are you, man?" Dean asks into the phone. "Are you okay? You want to elaborate?"

"S…so a hospital?" Dean asks after another moment.

"What's Cas doing in a hospital?" Gracilynn asks. Sam shakes his head, not sure himself.

"Uh, well, I got to tell you, man…You're just in time. We figured out a way to pop Satan's box," Dean says. "It's a long story, but, look…we're going after Pestilence now. So if you want to zap over here..."

"What do you mean?" Dean asks. Gracilynn sighs. Only being able to hear one side of the conversation was really starting to be a pain in the ass. Sam sends her an understanding smile, thinking the same thing.

"What do you mean? You're out of angel mojo?" Dean asks. Gracilynn and Sam look over at Dean at hearing this, eyebrows raised. "Human. Wow. Sorry"

"Cas is human?" Gracilynn asks.

"All right. Well, look, no worries. Uh, Bobby's here. He'll wire you the cash," Dean says.

"I will?" Bobby asks.

"Cas. I…It's okay," Dean replies, waiting a moment. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

Dean hangs up his phone and puts it in his pocket.

Gracilynn leans up against the door frame of her dad and uncle's bedroom. She watches as her dad throws clothes into his back at the foot of his bed. Dean doesn't notice she's there, focused on making sure he has all of his belongings. Cas had arrived that morning and had pulled Dean and Sam off to the side. She didn't know what they talked about but now they were packing.

"Going somewhere?" Gracilynn asks. Dean whips around.

"Gracie. Hey," Dean says, reverting his attention back to his bag, zipping it up.

"So, what? You were just gonna leave me behind again?" Gracilynn asks, annoyed.

"Cas still isn't healed. Someone has to stay back with him," Dean replies, not looking up at her.

"Bobby can stay with him," Gracilynn argues, crossing her arms, still leaning against the door frame.

"I'd feel more comfortable if you were watching over him," Dean says, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"No, you'd feel more comfortable if I was here away from the danger," Gracilynn says, calling him out. Dean sighs, looking at his daughter, knowing she is right.

"I need someone who can kick someone's ass if need be while Cas is down," Dean says, refusing to acknowledge how right Gracilynn is. "Don't tell Bobby I said this, but he's getting kinda old. Not too sure he can handle the physical part of the job anymore."

Gracilynn huffs, rolling her eyes, and trying to hide a smirk. She looks over at her dad.

"And the King of Deflection rises again," Gracilynn says. "Fine. I'll stay. But if anything…And I mean _anything_ goes wrong, I driving my ass there."

Dean's jaw tightens as he studies his daughter for a minute. Her arms are still crossed and she hasn't left the door frame but how she is holding herself, speaks volumes. She's dead serious. And the look on her face? Well, he's seen that look before when he looks in the mirror. He sighs in frustration. Gracilynn holds her ground, the only thing changing an eyebrow raising at her dad's sigh.

"Fine," Dean says, sounding just like his daughter moments before. "Not that you'll have to 'cause nothing's gonna go wrong."

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night dad," Gracilynn says, pushing herself off the door frame and walking down the stairs.

"Something's wrong," Gracilynn says, pacing in the living room. Bobby looks up from the book he's looking through.

"I'm sure everything's fine," Bobby replies, trying to quell her fears.

"No, she's right," Cas says from the couch. Gracilynn and Bobby look over at him.

"What do you mean?" Bobby asks.

"I have a feeling," Cas says.

"A feeling?" Bobby asks.

"I…I do not know how to explain," Cas answers, thinking about it.

"Like there's a never ending pit at the bottom of your stomach and you just keep falling? Like you feel sick to your stomach but you can't explain why?" Gracilynn asks. Cas thinks about this.

"Yes," Cas replies.

"Me too," Gracilynn agrees. Bobby sighs.

"Go," he says, waving his hand. "You're daddy's gonna kill me but go on."

"Cas?" Gracilynn says turning to Cas only to see him practically on top of her.

"How do we get there?" he asks.

"Here," Bobby says, throwing something through the air. Gracilynn catches it and realizes it's a set of keys. She raises her eyebrows at Bobby. "And if you tell your daddy I let you drive without a license I'll deny it."

"Thanks, Uncle Bobby," Gracilynn says, grabbing Cas and quickly making her way out of the library to the door.

"Hey," Bobby calls after them. Gracilynn turns around. "Be careful."

"We will," Gracilynn says, turning back around after sending him an encouraging smile.

"Gracilynn," Bobby calls again, waiting for her to turn back around, "Don't get pulled over."

Gracilynn grins.

"So, don't drive like dad. Okay," Gracilynn says, turning around and practically drags Cas out the door to Bobby's car.

Please revew!


	40. I'm Grounded Aren't I?

Here's the next chapter for ya'll. Hope you like it!

"Hmm. You boys don't look well. It might be the, uh, Scarlet fever. Or, uh, the meningitis. Oh! Or the syphilis. That's no fun. However you feel right now? It's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions? Disease gets a bad rap, don't you think? For being filthy. Chaotic. Uh, but, really, t-that just describes people who get sick. Disease itself... Very...Pure...Single-minded. Bacteria have one purpose -divide and conquer," Pestilence says, stepping on Dean's hand, causing him to groan. "That's why, in the end...It always wins. So, you've got to wonder why God pours all his love into something so messy...And 's ridiculous. All I can do is show him he's wrong, one epidemic at a time. Now... On a scale of 1 to 10, how's your pain?"

Gracilynn looks over at Cas and nods her head. Cas opens the door and barges into the room. Dean and Sam look up at him, surprised to see him.

"Cas," Dean says.

"How'd you get here?" Pestilence asks.

"I…drove," Cas says, not wanting to give away Gracilynn was here with him. "Don't worry, I…"

Cas suddenly falls to the floor, coughing.

"Well, look at that. An occupied vessel, but powerless. Oh, that's fascinating. There's not a speck of angel in you, is there?" Pestilence says cockily.

"Maybe just a speck," Cas says, smirking. Pestilence looks at him confused. Suddenly, Gracilynn appears with Sam's knife and cuts off Pestilence's ring and pinky finger.

"Oh!" Pestilence yells.

"You should really know who you're gonna piss off before doing it," Gracilynn says, grabbing the ring.

"It doesn't matter. It's too late," Pestilence says.

The Winchesters and Cas quickly escape out of the building, coming to a stop next to the Impala. Dean and Sam look around them but don't see anyone following them. Dean looks over at Gracilynn and Cas.

"Hey, how _did_ you guys get here?" he asks.

"I told you…we…uh, drove," Cas replies. Dean narrows his eyes.

"You don't know how to drive Cas," Dean points out. He looks over at Gracilynn who smile sheepishly, holding up a set of keys. "I thought we had this talk before."

"Yeah, and I didn't drive the Impala. I drove Uncle Bobby's car," Gracilynn argues. Dean rolls his eyes.

"Again, without a license," Dean points out, taking the keys from her and handing them to Sam.

"Sam, you and Cas go in Bobby's car," Dean says, opening his door. "Get in car Gracilynn."

"I'm grounded aren't I?" Gracilynn asks.

"Well, you did save our asses," Dean replies, sitting in his seat and shutting the door.

"Yes," Gracilynn mutters under her breath before climbing into her own seat. Dean waits for Sam to pull up next to them before pulling onto the street and taking off towards Bobby's house.

"Well, it's nice to actually score a home run for once, ain't it? What?" Bobby asks.

"Last thing Pestilence said, 'it's too late,'" Sam answers.

"He get specific?" Bobby asks.

"No," Sam replies.

"We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere. So please tell us you have actual good news," Dean replies.

"Chicago's about to be wiped off the map. Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die," Bobby responds.

"Huh," Dean replies.

"I don't understand your definition of good news," Cas replies, confused.

"Well...Death, the horseman…he's gonna be there. And if we can stop him before he kick-starts this storm, get his ring back…" Bobby says, trailing off.

"Yeah, you make it sound so easy," Dean replies.

"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it," Bobby says defensively.

"Well...Bobby, h-how'd you put all this together, anyways?" Sam asks. Gracilynn looks over at Bobby.

"Yeah, you had nothing when we left," she adds.

"I had, you know...Help," Bobby answers.

"Don't be so modest. I barely helped at all. Hello, boys. Pleasure, et cetera. Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it," Crowley says, suddenly appearing in the room.

"Bobby? Tell us what?" Sam asks, knowing it can't be anything good.

"World's gonna end. Seems stupid to get all precious over one little...Soul," Bobby replies.

"What?" Gracilynn asks, not sure she heard him correctly.

"You sold your soul?" Dean asks.

"Oh, more like pawned it. I fully intend to give it back," Crowley assures.

"Well, then give it back!" Dean yells.

"I will," Crowley says calmly.

"Now!" Dean demands.

"Did you kiss him?" Sam asks.

"Sam!" Dean scolds.

"Just wondering," Sam says.

"Did you?" Gracilynn asks.

"Gracilynn!" Dean scolds again. Gracilynn shrugs her shoulders.

"No!" Bobby says defensively. Crowley holds out his phone, showing a picture of him and Bobby kissing. "Why'd you take a picture?"

"Why do you have to use tongue?" Crowley counters.

"All right. You know what? I'm sick of this. Give him his soul back now," Dean says irritated.

"I'm sorry. I can't," Crowley says.

"Can't or won't?" Dean asks angrily.

"I won't, all right? It's insurance," Crowley replies.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asks.

"You kill demons. Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it. But you won't kill me... As long as I have that soul in the deposit box," Crowley explains.

"You Son of a Bitch," Bobby growls.

"I'll return it. After all this is over, and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?" Crowley says.

"What's your problem?" Bobby asks Cas. The two of them and Gracilynn had just gotten outside in the yard, meeting up with Dean and Sam.

"This is what they mean by 'the 11th hour', right?" Cas asks.

"Pretty much," Bobby answers.

"Well, it's the 11th hour, and I am useless. All I have is this," Cas says, holding up a shotgun and waving it. "What am I even supposed to do with it?"

"Point and shoot Cas," Gracilynn answers with a smirk.

"What I used to be…" Cas starts.

"Are you really gonna bitch…to me? Quit pining for the varsity years...And load the damn truck," Bobby grouses. Gracilynn smirks.

"All right…well, good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse," Dean says to Sam, Bobby, and Cas.

"Yeah. Good luck killing Death," Sam replies.

"Yeah," Dean says.

"Remember when we used to just...hunt wendigos? How simple things were?" Sam asks.

"Not really," Dean replies.

"Well, um…you might need this," Sam says, pulling out Ruby's knife.

"Keep it," Crowley says, appearing and holding out a small scythe. "Dean's covered. Death's own. Kills, golly, demons and angels and reapers and, rumor has it, the very thing itself."

"How did you get that?" Cas asks.

"Hello…king of the crossroads. So, shall we? Bobby, you just gonna sit there?" Crowley answers.

"No, I'm gonna riverdance," Bobby replies sarcastically.

"I suppose if you want to impress the ladies. Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. Really wasted that crossroads deal. Fact… you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-a clause on your behalf. What can I say? I'm an altruist. Just gonna sit there?" Crowley explains. Bobby gets up out of his wheelchair, surprised as well as everyone around him.

"Son of a Bitch," Bobby curses.

"Yes, I know. Completely worth your soul. I'm a hell of a guy," Crowley says.

"Thanks," Bobby replies.

"This is getting maudlin. Can we go?" Crowley says. Dean rolls his eyes but heads towards the impala anyways. Crowley follows after him, almost running into him when Dean stops abruptly. He closes his eyes, mentally kicking himself for doing this. Dean turns around to face the group.

"You coming?" he asks, eyes looking at Gracilynn. Gracilynn looks over at him, trying to figure out if he's serious. She tries to hide a smile before putting down the bag in her hands.

"Yeah," she says, jogging to catch up to them.

"This isn't a good idea," Crowley says, "She'll just get in the way."

"It's my call Crowley," Dean says, glaring at him. "I don't trust you. And if Sam's not gonna be there to have my back, then Gracie sure as hell is."

"This is a big mistake," Crowley says, but walks towards the impala anyways. Dean watches him for a moment before turning to look at Gracilynn.

"Don't take your eyes off him," he says, sliding a gun to her. Gracilynn nods her head, taking the gun and putting it in her waistband.

Please review and let me know what ya'll thought!


	41. Author's Note: Planning Ahead

Okay, so I have just sat down for the last half hour coming up with a rough outline for my Season 6 stories. I have told a couple people that throughout these stories, I will be putting in flashbacks of Gracilynn during that year Dean and her were living with Lisa. I have a couple ideas I got from other people throughout Dust in the Wind and a couple ideas I wanted to address. So, now my question for you, what flashbacks would you guys like to see in these next two stories? What would you like seen explained or told? What do you think should be explained? I am open to all ideas. I look forward to hearing everyone's input Thanks!


	42. You Think I Want This?

Here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who's been giving me ideas for flashback! I appreciate it!

"Hey, let's stop for pizza," Crowley says to Dean. They had arrived in Chicago and were presently riding in the Impala, Dean and Crowley up front and Gracilynn in back.

"Are you kidding?" Dean asks.

"Just heard it was good. That's all. Up ahead. Big, ugly building. Ground zero. Horseman's stable, if you will. He's in there," Crowley says, pointing to a building on their right.

"How do you know?" Dean asks skeptically.

"Have you met me? 'Cause I know. Also, the block is squirming with reapers. I'll be right back," Crowley says. He disappears, appearing moments later. "Boy, is my face red. Death's not in there."

"You want to cut the cute and get to the part where you tell me where he is?" Dean asks aggravated.

"Sorry. I don't know," Crowley admits.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. You don't know?" Dean asks, his anger rising.

"Signs pointed. I-I'm just as shocked as you," Crowley says nonchalantly.

"Bobby sold his soul for this!" Dean yells, his anger taking hold.

"Relax. All deals are soul back or store credit. We'll catch Death in the next doomed city," Crowley says.

"Millions, Crowley. Millions of people are about to die any minute," Dean growls.

"True. So I strongly suggest we get out of here," Crowley replies.

"So, what? Call in a bomb threat? 1,000 bomb threats? I mean, how the hell am I supposed to get three million people out of Chicago in the next 10 minutes?" Dean asks, after driving around for ten minutes. Crowley disappears. "Come on!"

"Dad," Gracilynn says from the back seat.

"What?" Dean says with a little more bite towards her than he meant. Gracilynn points across the street and Dean looks, seeing Crowley standing in front of a building. Crowley starts talking to Dean from his spot. "What? I can't hear you!"

"I said I found him," Crowley says, appearing back in the Impala. "Death…he's in there."

"You coming or..." Dean says to Crowley, getting out of the car, trailing off when Crowley has disappeared again. "…Not."

Dean shuts his door, looking at the pizzeria for a moment. He looks back at the car and sighs. He opens the back door, peering in at Gracilynn who has raised her eyebrow in curiosity.

"You coming?" he says.

"You're gonna let me come?" Gracilynn asks, surprised.

"Just…stay close," Dean replies.

"Okay," Gracilynn replies, climbing out of the car and following close behind her dad. They enter the pizzeria, Dean pulling out the scythe. Dean puts a hand on her arm, silently telling her to stay. As Dean gets nearer to Death, the scythe heats up. Dean drops it and the scythe reappears on the table next to Death.

"Thanks for returning that. Join me, Dean. The pizza's delicious. Sit down. Took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to you," Death says. Dean looks back at his daughter. "Gracilynn can join us too."

Dean's head whips around to look at Death, not so sure he likes the fact that he knows his daughters' name. He takes a deep breath and looks back at Gracilynn, nodding for her to follow him. Dean and Gracilynn walk over and take a seat at the table, sitting across from Death.

"I got to say…I have mixed feelings about that. S…so is this the part where...where you kill us?" Dean asks, glancing at his daughter sitting next to him.

"You have an inflated sense of your importance. To a thing like me, a thing like you, well...Think how you'd feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started to get snarky. This is one little planet in one tiny solar system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm old, Dean. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you," Death says. Gracilynn bites her bottom lip, looking over at her dad. Death gestures to the pizza. "Eat."

Dean takes a bite of the pizza. Death looks over at Gracilynn who gives him a nervous smile. She takes a bite out of her own pizza.

"Good, isn't it?" Death asks them.

"Well, I got to ask. How old are you?" Dean asks.

"As old as God. Maybe older. Neither of us can remember anymore," Death replies.

"Gotta say…you look good for your age," Gracilynn says. Dean looks at her in bewilderment. Death smiles, if you can call it that, at her.

"I do, don't I?" he says to her, then turning to Dean. "Life, death, chicken, egg. Regardless…at the end, I'll reap him, too."

"God? You'll reap God?" Dean asks.

"Oh, yes. God will die, too, Dean," Death responds.

"Well, this is way above my pay grade," Dean says.

"Just a bit," Death agrees.

"So, then why are we still breathing, sitting here with you? Uh...w…what do you want?" Dean asks.

"The leash around my neck…off. Lucifer has me bound to him. Some unseemly little spell. He has me where he wants, when he wants. That's why I couldn't go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful than you can process, and I'm enslaved to a bratty child with a temper tantrum," Death says in irritation.

"And you think...I can unbind you?" Dean asks, trying to figure what it is Death wants.

"There's your ridiculous bravado again. Of course you can't. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer's gun. I understand you want this," Death says, holding up his ring.

"Yeah," Dean says, looking at the ring in front of him.

"I'm inclined to give it to you," Death says.

"To give it to me?" Dean asks in surprise.

"That's what I said," Death says impatiently. He turns to Gracilynn. "Is he always this dense?"

"Only on the days that end with 'y'," Gracilynn replies. Dean looks like a fish out of water, looking between Death and his daughter.

"But what about..." Dean asks when he finally gets his voice back.

"Chicago? I suppose it can stay. I like the pizza. There are conditions," Death replies.

"Okay. Like?" Dean asks.

"You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell," Death answers.

"Of course," Dean says as if that was obvious.

"Whatever it takes," Death reiterates.

"That's the plan," Dean says, wondering where Death is going with this.

"No. No plan. Not yet. Your brother. He's the one that can stop Lucifer. The only one," Death says. Gracilynn's breath catches in her throat.

"What, you think…" Dean begins, but Death cuts him off.

"I know. So, I need a promise. You're going to let your brother jump right into that fiery pit. Well, do I have your word?" Death says. Gracilynn looks from her dad to Death and back again. She feels her head shake slightly.

"Okay, yeah. Yes," Dean says.

"That had better be 'yes', Dean. You know you can't cheat death. Now, would you like the instruction manual?" Death warns. Gracilynn realizes she has gripped on to her dad's jacket under the table, but can't convince herself to let go. The only thought able to get through is that she's going to lose her uncle.

Gracilynn had been quiet the whole car ride. Crowley disappeared after their meeting with Death, no surprise there, so it had been just the two of them. Dean wasn't sure if he was glad she was quiet or not. He didn't want to talk to her about what he promised Death but he hated being left to his own thoughts. Dean glances over at her, trying to read her, frustrated he can't. Dean looks back out the front window.

"Gracie," Dean says, not real sure what he wants to say.

"Can we not talk about this," Gracilynn says quietly, knowing exactly what her dad wants to talk about.

"Trust me, I don't want to talk about this either…" Dean begins.

"Then why are you?" Gracilynn asks, cutting him off.

"_But_…I think we need to," Dean says.

"I get it, okay?" Gracilynn says, having yet to look at him, watching the scenery pass by her window. "It comes with the territory. Saving the world and all. You let go of the ones you care about. Let them die."

"I'm not letting him die," Dean says defensively.

"Could've fooled me," Gracilynn mutters. The car swerves off to the side of the road, coming to an instant halt. Gracilynn finally looks over at her dad, surprised. He's already out of the car, the door slamming shut causing her to flinch. She bites her lip. _Yup, prolly shouldn't have gone there_. Gracilynn slowly climbs out of the car, carefully shutting the door and walking over to where Dean is standing in the grass. Gracilynn watches as he rubs a hand through his hair and down his face, tension clearly evident in his shoulders. Dean takes a deep breath before turning to look at her.

"You think I want this?" he asks. Gracilynn wisely keeps her mouth shut, just listening. Dean shakes his head slightly, looking away from her for a moment before turning to look back at her. "I wish to God there was some other way. Hell, I've looked _everywhere_. The _last_ thing I want is to watch my baby brother voluntarily jump into hell. Into the pit with Lucifer. But it's _not_ like I have a choice here."

Gracilynn bites her lip. She was hurting over what was going to happen, but her dad? He was hurting too. It was killing him to know he had to do this. And she threw it in his face. Accused him of not caring. Of letting his brother die. _I am such a Bitch_. Gracilynn feels a sting behind her eyes and she reaches up, feeling water there. She sniffs and looks over at her dad just in time to see a single tear escape. Gracilynn walks over and wraps her arms around her dad's midsection.

"I'm sorry dad," Gracilynn whispers, feeling her dad wrap his arms around her, holding her tight. Dean gathers his composure, kissing the top of Gracilynn's head.

"We should get going. They'll be wondering where we are," Dean says, reluctantly pulling away, feeling Gracilynn nod her head. Gracilynn quickly wipes her eyes, feeling her dad pull away from her. This was going to suck, but the least she could do is be there for her dad.

Please revew!

Oh, and I just have to say that I think it's so cool that in the next episode (I believe, maybe the one after that) that the episode is going to be about Abaddon and I actually did a hunt in this story about Abaddon as well. Looking forward to seeing it!


	43. And Here's Where It Ends

The rest of the chapters are going to be short chapters. I wanted to include Chuck's monologue about Dean, Sam, and the Impala and I felt the best way to do this was to make the different parts of it jumpstart the chapters. No worries though, because they are so short, I will be posting double chapters from here on out. Enjoy!

"On April 21, 1967, the 100 millionth GM vehicle rolled off the line at the plant in Janesville - a blue two-door Caprice.  
There was a big ceremony, speeches. The lieutenant governor even showed up. Three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her. But they should have, because this 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car - no, the most important _object_ - in pretty much the whole universe.  
She was first owned by Sal Moriarty, an alcoholic with two ex-wives and three blocked arteries. On weekends, he'd drive around giving Bibles to the poor "gettin' folks right for Judgment Day." That's what he said. Sam and Dean don't know any of this, but if they did, I bet they'd smile.  
After Sal died, she ended up at Rainbow Motors, a used-car lot in Lawrence, where a young marine bought her on impulse. That is, after a little advice from a friend. I guess that's where this story begins.  
And here's where it ends."

Gracilynn stands up from her seat on the ground. They had gotten home yesterday afternoon. Home. She never thought she'd say that word again, but here she is calling Uncle Bobby's just that. She sighs, parting the branches of the Willow tree and begin to walk back towards the house. After talking to Uncle Sam and Uncle Bobby, her dad and Bobby had gone out to the yard, most likely talking about what he had promised Death. Uncle Sam knew something was going on with her, kept trying to get it out of her, but Gracilynn kept telling him nothing was wrong. Her dad had asked her not to say anything. He wanted to talk to Sam and, well, she was going to do as he asked for once. Besides, she really didn't want to talk about it anymore. Gracilynn walks out of the woods and makes her way through the junkyard. As she nears the house, she hears her dad and uncle talking. She gets as close as she can without being seen and crouches down behind one of the cars. She peers around it, seeing her uncle sitting on the hood of the Impala and her dad standing next to him. Dean sighs and leans up against the passenger side door.

"Dean? What's going on?" Sam asks.

"I'm in," Dean says, looking at the ground.

"In with…?" Sam asks, confused.

"The whole 'up with Satan' thing. I'm on board," Dean says, looking out over the yard.

"You're gonna let me say yes?" Sam asks, not quite believing it. Dean's mind flashes back to his conversation with his daughter yesterday. _It comes with the territory. Saving the world and all. You let go of the ones you care about. Let them die._

"No. That's the thing. It's not on me to let you do anything. You're a grown - well, overgrown - man. If this is what you want, I'll back your play," Dean replies.

"That's the last thing I thought you'd ever say," Sam says, looking at his brother.

"Might be. I'm not gonna lie to you, though. It goes against every fiber I got. I mean, truth is... You know, watching out for you... it's kinda been my job, you know? But more than that, it's... it's kinda who I am. You're not a kid anymore, Sam, and I can't keep treating you like one. Maybe I got to grow up a little, too. I don't know if we got a snowball's chance. But... But I do know that if anybody can do it... it's you," Dean says. Gracilynn falls back onto her butt, leaning her back against the car she's hiding behind. She rests her head back, closing her eyes, trying to get her emotions under control.

"Thank you," she hears her uncle say.

"If this is what you want... Is this really what you want?" Dean asks, looking over at his brother.

"I let him out. I got to put him back in," Sam answers.

"Okay. That's it, then," Dean replies.

"Yeah," Gracilynn whispers, opening her eyes and a single tear escapes. "That's it, then."

Gracilynn hears footsteps coming towards her. After her dad and uncle left, she had come out of her hiding spot and took a seat on the hood of the Impala. In fact, the same spot her uncle was sitting. The footsteps stop next to her.

"Been looking for you," Sam says, his hands shoved in his pockets, looking at her, her eyes closed.

"Well, you found me," Gracilynn says. Sam sighs and leans up against the hood of the car, his back touching her bent leg. He looks over at her.

"You knew about…" Sam begins, not sure how to say it.

"What?" Gracilynn asks, eyes opening and looking at her uncle. "That dad was gonna let you…"

Sam watches her and she forces a swallow. Gracilynn looks away across the yard. She bites her lip, trying to find something to say.

"It's the only way Smalls," Sam says, earning a snort from his niece, "I have to do this. I _need_ to do this."

Gracilynn's jaw tightens; she looks down at her hands, finding them very interesting. She finally raises her gaze to meet her uncle's.

"So what? Now you're saying your goodbyes?" Gracilynn asks scornfully.

"Don't do this," Sam all but pleads. "This is hard enough as it is."

Gracilynn looks away. Sam can see she's trying to control her emotions and he has to look away himself.

"I…I need to you to promise me something," Sam says, glancing back at Gracilynn. Gracilynn looks over at him. She forces another swallow and nods her head. "Promise me you'll stay in school. Graduate."

Gracilynn nods her head. Sam watches her for a minute before taking a deep breath and continuing.

"And keep yourself safe. Don't go off doing anything stupid," Sam says.

"You mean like jumping into Lucifer's pit?" Gracilynn asks. Sam forces a swallow.

"Yeah," he says quietly.

"Think I can manage that," Gracilynn replies. She looks away.

"One more thing," Sam says. Gracilynn looks back over at her uncle before looking away again. "I…need you to look after Dean for me."

She swiftly looks back at him. This whole thing felt real before but now? Now it was like it was laughing in her face. That is, right after it sucker punched her. This is going to happen and there's nothing she can do to stop it. It didn't sink in until her uncle said what he said. When her uncle passed on his role to her; to look after and take care of his brother. Gracilynn nods her head, feeling the tears begin to fall, and not trusting her voice. Sam feels his own eyes prickle. He sniffs and reaches over, pulling Gracilynn into a hug. Gracilynn wraps her arms around, burying her face into his chest. Sam squeezes her, feeling her tears dampen his shirt. He feels his own tears begin to fall.

"I love you Smalls," Sam says, kissing the top of her head. Gracilynn squeezes him harder, a sob escaping from her lips. Sam tries to keep his composure, knowing he couldn't lose it now.

"I love you Uncle Sammy. I don't wanna lose you," Gracilynn sobs out, clinging to him like if she let go she would never see him again. And, if he really thought about it, she wouldn't.

Please review and let me know what ya'll thought! Thanks again or all of the new ideas for flashbacks!


	44. See Ya Smalls

Here's the next chapter!

"You all right kid?" Bobby ask Gracilynn as the two of them wait by the cars for Dean, Sam, and Cas come out of the building before them. Gracilynn looks over at him.

"No offense Uncle Bobby, but I _really_ don't want to talk about this," Gracilynn says. Bobby looks as if he's going to say something but stops himself when the three men walk out of the building towards them. Gracilynn watches as Sam and Cas put gallons of blood into the trunk of the Impala.

"I still can't get used to you at eye level," Dean says to Bobby, drawing Gracilynn's attention from the jugs of blood.

"So, was I right?" Bobby asks.

"As always, Yoda. Two stunt demons inside, just like you said," Dean says.

"Did you get it?" Bobby asks.

"Yeah, all the "go juice" Sammy can drink," Dean replies, watching his daughter.

"You okay?" Bobby asks. Dean looks back at Bobby.

"Not really. What do you got?" he asks.

"Not much. These look like omens to you? Cyclone in Florida, temperature drop in Detroit, wildfires in L.A," Bobby replies, handing Dean a newspaper.

"Wait. What about Detroit?" Dean asks, the city grabbing his attention.

"Temp's dropped about 20 degrees, but only in a five-block radius of downtown Motown," Bobby answers.

"That's the one. Devil's in Detroit," Dean announces.

"Really? As far as foreboding goes, it's a little light in the loafers. You sure?" Bobby asks, uncertain.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Dean replies.

Dean drives down the road, Sam sitting shotgun and Cas asleep in the backseat. Gracilynn is asleep in the front seat, her back leaning against Sam, her feet in Dean's lap. Sam has an arm around her to prevent her from falling. Dean looks in the rearview mirror.

"Aw. Ain't he a little angel?" Dean says.

"Angels don't sleep," Sam replies, looking behind him at Cas.

"Sam, I got a bad feeling about this," Dean admits.

"Well, you'd be nuts to have a good feeling about it," Sam says, trying and failing to laugh it off.

"You know what I mean. Detroit. He always said he'd jump your bones in Detroit. Here we are," Dean replies.

"Here we are," Sam repeats.

"Maybe this is him rolling out the red carpet, you know? Maybe he knows something that we don't," Dean offers.

"Dean, I'm sure he knows a buttload we don't. We just got to hope he doesn't know about the rings. Hey, um... on the subject, there's something I got to talk to you about," Sam says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"This thing goes our way and I...Triple Lindy into that box... y-you know I'm not coming back," Sam says, glancing down at Gracilynn to make sure she's still asleep.

"Yeah, I'm aware," Dean says tightly, his eyes diverting to his daughter as well.

"So you got to promise me something," Sam begins.

"Okay. Yeah. Anything," Dean says.

"You got to promise not to try to bring me back," Sam says.

"What? No, I didn't sign up for that," Dean yells. Gracilynn stirs. Dean and Sam looks down at her but she doesn't wake up.

"Dean…" Sam tries to argue.

"Your Hell is gonna make my tour look like Graceland. You want me just to sit by and do nothing," Dean whispers harshly.

"Once the Cage is shut, you can't go poking at it, Dean. It's too risky," Sam whispers harshly back.

"No, no, no, no, no. As if I'm just gonna let you rot in there," Dean argues.

"Yeah, you are. You don't have a choice," Sam disputes.

"You can't ask me to do this. You can't ask us to do this," Dean says.

"I'm sorry, Dean. You have to," Sam says calmly.

"So then what am I supposed to do?" Dean asks, on the verge of loosing it.

"You go find Lisa. You pray to god she's dumb enough to take you in, and you - you have barbecues and go to football games. You go live some normal, apple-pie life, Dean. Promise me," Sam answers, pleading.

Bobby looks through his binoculars at the building in front of him, seeing a man standing in the window. He puts the binoculars away and makes his way back over to the Winchesters and Cas.

"Demons. At least two dozen of them. You were right…something's up," Bobby says to them.

"More than something. He's here. I know it," Dean agrees. He walks over to the trunk of the Impala and Sam looks at Bobby. Gracilynn follows her dad, stopping at the side of the trunk.

"I'll see ya around, kid," Bobby says to Sam.

"See ya around," Sam replies. They give each other a hug.

"He gets in... You fight him tooth and nail, you understand? Keep swingin'. Don't give an inch," Bobby says as they pull away.

"Yes, sir," Sam says. Sam turns to Cas and holds out his hand. "Take care of these guys, okay?"

"That's not possible," Cas replies bluntly.

"Then humor me," Sam says.

"Oh. I was supposed to lie. Uh... Sure. They'll be fine," Cas says, faking okay.

"Just…just stop... talking," Sam says, putting a stop to the bad lie. He walks over to the trunk of the Impala, stopping next to Gracilynn. "See ya Smalls."

"…See ya Sasquatch," Gracilynn replies. Sam kisses the top of her head and walks to the back of the trunk, looking in seeing the open jugs of blood.

"You mind not watching this?" Sam says to Dean. Dean walks away, putting an arm around Gracilynn and leading her towards Bobby and Cas. Sam watches them before taking a deep breath and picking up a jug.

Gracilynn looks up as she hears Sam clear his throat and closes the trunk. She's leaning against her dad's side, who in turn is leaning against the Impala. Sam takes a deep breath.

"Okay. Let's go," Sam says, walking past Dean and Gracilynn. After a moment, Dean squeezes his arm that's around Gracilynn, kissing the top of her head and follows after Sam. Gracilynn, Bobby, and Cas watch them enter the building.

Please review!


	45. The Blemishes That Make Her Beautiful

Here's the next chapter! Hope ya'll like it!

"The Impala, of course, has all the things other cars have... and a few things they don't. But none of that stuff's important. This is the stuff that's important. The army man that Sam crammed in the ashtray - it's still stuck there. The Legos that Dean shoved into the vents - to this day, heat comes on and they can hear 'em rattle. These are the things that make the car theirs - really theirs. Even when Dean rebuilt her from the ground up, he made sure all these little things stayed, 'cause it's the blemishes that make her beautiful. The Devil doesn't know or care what kind of car the boys drive."

Gracilynn stares up at the building in front of her, praying to anyone that her dad and uncle will be okay. It had been a good fifteen minutes since they disappeared through the front door. The three of them look up suddenly at the windows, seeing a bright light emanating from them before dimming. Gracilynn hears a low humming sound and she looks back up at the windows, seeing papers flying past them. Before she knows it, she realizes she has pushed herself off the Impala and has taken a few steps towards the building. She feels a hand on her shoulder and she looks down at it, her gaze shifting up to meet Cas' eyes. He shakes his head, a minute amount, but shakes it nonetheless. Gracilynn looks at him with wide eyes. She looks up at the windows again, trying to see anything, but everything looks calm.

"Gracilynn, you need to breath," she hears Cas say. She looks over at him, confused. Cas smacks her back and Gracilynn releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding. They hear a noise and their heads swivel towards the door in time to see Dean slowly walk out onto the sidewalk. Gracilynn glances behind him, already knowing she wasn't going to see her uncle there. She looks back at her dad.

"Dad?" Dean looks over at her and Gracilynn sees the tears in his eyes and the tear stains on his cheeks. Dean looks over at Bobby, shaking his head.

"He…he couldn't…Lucifer…" Dean tries and fails to explain, another tear falling.

Gracilynn's standing in front of a store front, watching the news on the TV. She glances to her right seeing her dad and Bobby walk up next to her, watching the news themselves.

"_Reports are flooding in - a 7.6 earthquake in Portland, 8.1 in Boston, more in Hong Kong, Berlin, and Tehran. The U.S.G.S. has no explanation but says to expect a six-figure death toll,_" the news reporter says.

"It's starting," Cas says, walking up next to them.

"Yeah, you think, genius?" Dean asks sarcastically.

"You don't have to be mean," Cas chastises.

"So, what do we do now?" Gracilynn asks.

"I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol... Just wait for the inevitable blast wave," Cas says.

"Yeah, swell. Thank you, Bukowski. I-I think she means, how do we stop it?" Dean says.

"We don't. Lucifer will meet Michael on the chosen field, and the battle of Armageddon begins," Cas replies.

"Okay, well, where's this chosen field?" Dean asks.

"I don't know," Cas admits.

"Well, there's got to be something that we can do," Dean says desperately.

"I'm sorry, Dean. This is over," Cas says.

"You're just gonna give up?" Gracilynn asks, not believing her ears.

"You listen to me, you junkless sissy - we are not giving up! Bobby? Bobby?" Dean adds.

"There was never much hope to begin with. I don't know what to do," Bobby admits. Gracilynn looks from Bobby to Cas is disbelief, not understanding how they can just leave things how they are. She shakes her head at them before turning around and getting into the passenger seat of the Impala. Dean watches her. He glances back at Bobby and Cas and then climbs into the drivers' seat of the Impala.

Stupid Bobby and Cas… I hated this part of the episode. Anyways, please review!


	46. But They Were Never In Fact Homeless

And update #2

"In between jobs, Sam and Dean would sometimes get a day - sometimes a week, if they were lucky. They'd pass the time lining their pockets. Sam used to insist on honest work, but now he hustles pool, like his brother. They could go anywhere and do anything. They drove 1,000 miles for an Ozzy show, two days for a Jayhawks game. And when it was clear, they'd park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood, and watch the stars... for hours... without saying a word. It never occurred to them that, sure, maybe they never really had a roof and four walls..."

"...but they were never, in fact, homeless…"

Gracilynn looks over at her dad after he shuts the drivers' side door. Dean starts up the Impala and drives off, pulling into an alleyway and parking the car. Gracilynn looks back over at her dad. Dean stares out the windshield, thinking. Unexpectedly, Dean takes out his phone and types in a phone number, putting the phone to his ear, glancing her way as he waits for someone to pick up.

"Um, no, Chuck," Dean says, making a face. Gracilynn sits up straighter, straining to hear what Chuck is saying, but can only hear her dad's side of the conversation. "Who's Mistress Magda?"

Gracilynn makes a face, not really wanting to know the answer to that question.

"Yeah, I'll bet - real close. Whatever happened to Becky?" Dean asks, looking at Gracilynn when she snorts. "Boy, you really got a whole virgin/hooker thing going on, don't you?"

Gracilynn hears Chuck say something but can't make it out. Dean swallows, looking out the window before saying anything else.

"Sam said yes," Dean says. "Did you see where the title fight goes down?"

Gracilynn quickly looks over at her dad, having a pretty good idea where this is headed. Dean makes a face.

"Aw, crap," he grumbles. Dean rubs a hand through his hair, sighing, as he listens to what chuck says.

"Stull Ceme… Wait. I know that. That's…that's an old bone yard outside of Lawrence. Why Lawrence?" Dean asks, confused. "All right, Chuck. You know of any way to short-circuit this thing?"

"Well, do you have any idea what's gonna happen next?" Dean asks after a moment. "All right. Thanks, Chuck."

Dean puts his phone back in his pocket and looks over at Gracilynn, who's watching him carefully, trying to gauge what to say.

"What'd Chuck say?" she asks.

"Said the fight supposed to go down in Lawrence. Stull Cemetery," Dean answers. Gracilynn nods her understanding. Dean looks out the window, lost in thought. Gracilynn looks over at him.

"You're going aren't you?" she asks.

"There ain't any chance you'll stay with Bobby and Cas is there?" Dean asks, looking over at her. Gracilynn studies him for a moment.

"I get it," she says. Dean gives her a confused look. "He's you're little brother. No way in hell you'd let him go through this on his own. It was never your thing. You've always been there for your family. Why would this be any different. You wanna go and be there for him. You wanna be able to say you tried _everything_. The answers no."

Dean gives her another confused look.

"To your question. I won't stay behind. I won't be left behind," Gracilynn explains. Dean takes a breath as if he's going to say something, but Gracilynn cuts him off. "And I don't mean left behind as in staying with Bobby to keep me safe. I mean _left behind_. Mom's…dead. You and Uncle Sam are _all_ I have left. I won't be the only left. I can't. So, if you're going, I'm going."

Dean looks out the window again, thinking about what Gracilynn has said.

"'Sides. Uncle Sammy made me promise to look out for you. It was the last thing he ever asked of me and I intend to do it. So, if I have to hotwire a car and drive my ass to Lawrence and meet you there I will," Gracilynn says determinedly. "Now, I know you're thinking 'It's Lucifer', and I get that too. And if you want me to stay in the car and wait I will."

"_You're_ gonna stay in the car?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, of cour…Okay, I will _try_ to stay in the car and wait," Gracilynn amends. "But in the past two years, I think I've proven myself and I think you owe me this much. We're gonna beat this asshat. I know it. I have faith in you both. Call me a romantic but…"

Dean watches her, waiting for her to continue.

"Mom use to have this phrase she'd say anytime we hit a rough patch," Gracilynn says. "She'd say, 'Family conquers all'. And…she was right. If anyone's gonna be able to shove that bastard in the pit it's gonna be you two. And I believe I made a promise to you too."

Dean gives her a curious look, trying to figure out what she's talking about.

"I'm pretty sure I told you I was gonna be your pain in the ass forever," Gracilynn says, "I kinda gotta live up to that."

Dean smiles slightly, remembering that conversation. He looks over at his daughter and _really_ looks at her, _really_ takes in everything she's said. _God, she's grown up so much_. _When did that happen?_ Dean sighs and nods his head.

"All right," he says.

"You're letting me come? Again? I don't really wanna push it, but…why?" Gracilynn asks.

"'Cause…" Dean says, looking over at her, "I owe you that much."

Dean closes the trunk of the Impala as Bobby and Cas walk up to him. Bobby looks from the trunk to the passenger seat back to Dean.

"You goin' someplace? You're goin' to do somethin' stupid. You got that look," Bobby calls him out.

"I'm gonna go talk to Sam," Dean states.

"You just don't give up," Bobby replies.

"It's Sam!" Dean yells, getting angry.

"If you couldn't reach him here, you're certainly not gonna be able to on the battlefield," Cas points out.

"You know what I think is funny. The fact that a sixteen year old gets this. That a sixteen year old can find faith in me and Sam. But two grown men can't," Dean says. Bobby and Cas look at him. "'Sides, if we've already lost, I guess we've got nothing to lose right?"

"I just want you to understand - the only thing that you're gonna see out there is Michael killing your brother," Cas asserts. Dean looks at his daughter watching them from the front passenger seat.

"Well, then we ain't gonna let him die alone," Dean says, looking back at Cas. Dean gives them one last look before getting in the car and starting the engine, driving away from them.

Please review! Would love to hear your thoughts!


	47. I'm Not Gonna Leave You

Here's the next update! Hope ya'll like it!

Dean pulls into the cemetery driving towards where he sees Sam and Adam circling each other. He looks over at Gracilynn before speaking.

"Hand me that Led Zeppelin tape," Dean says, pointing to the box at her feet. Gracilynn sifts through the box and hands her dad the tape, wondering what he's doing. Dean puts the tape into the tape deck and "Rock of Ages" begins blaring through the speakers. Lucifer in Sam's body and Michael in Adam's body turn to see who's coming as Dean drives up to them, putting the car in park and shutting it off. "Gracie…"

"Stay here…I know," Gracilynn says, looking over at her dad, forcing a smile. Dean returns it with his own forced smile before climbing out of the car.

"Howdy, boys," Dean says to the angel before him. "Sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

Lucifer and Michael stare at Dean, not all too pleased he's there. Dean ignores there looks.

"Hey. We need to talk," Dean says to Sam.

"Dean. Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid," Lucifer says with Sam's mouth. He glances behind Dean, seeing Gracilynn waiting in the car.

"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sam," Dean says to Lucifer, stepping in front of Gracilynn.

"You're no longer the vessel, Dean. You got no right to be here," Michael chimes in.

"Adam, if you're in there somewhere, I am so sorry," Dean says, looking at Adam/Michael.

"Adam isn't home right now," Michael replies.

"Well, then you're next on my list, buttercup. But right now, I need five minutes with him," Dean says, pointing at Sam/Lucifer.

"You little maggot. You are no longer a part of this story!" Michael says angrily.

"Hey, ass-butt!" Gracilynn whips her head around, along with everyone else to see Cas and Bobby standing to their left. Cas is holding a bottle with a flame coming out of one end. Cas throws the bottle at Michael and he screams as he goes up in flames.

"'Ass-butt'?" Gracilynn asks herself the same time Dean asks Cas.

"He'll be back…and upset…but you got your five minutes," Cas says, ignoring Dean's question.

"Castiel. Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?" Lucifer asks Castiel. Gracilynn shudders at the coldness she hears in his voice. Sam's voice.

"Uh…no," Cas says hesitantly.

"No one dicks with Michael but me," Lucifer says, snapping his fingers. Cas explodes, blood and chunks of meat raining down onto the ground. Gracilynn flinches. She finds herself against the passenger side door, watching everything happen before her.

"Sammy, can you hear me?" Gracilynn hears her dad ask, her attention reverting back to him and her uncle.

"You know... I tried to be nice... for Sammy's sake. But you... are such a pain... in my ass," Lucifer says, throwing punches at Dean in between words.

"Dad!" Gracilynn yells, trying to open the door but finding it stuck. She looks up and sees Lucifer smirking at her. Lucifer grabs Dean and throws him into the Impala's windshield. The windshield shatters and Gracilynn throws an arm over her face to protect herself. She hears a gunshot and looks up in time to see Lucifer turn around only to be shot by a gun in Bobby's hand. Lucifer twists his hand and Bobby's neck snaps.

"No!" Gracilynn yells, hearing her dad yell the same thing.

"Yes," Lucifer says, grabbing Dean's legs and yanking him off the hood of the Impala. Lucifer slams a fist into Dean's face, hard, and Dean falls back into the Impala, spitting blood. Gracilynn jumps slightly as her dad falls into the passenger door.

"Sammy? Are you in there?" Dean asks.

"Oh, he's in here, all right," Lucifer says, punching Dean in the face. "And he's gonna feel the snap of your bones."

Lucifer punches Dean again and he falls to the ground. Gracilynn feels the stinging behind her eyes intensify. She tries to open the drivers' side door but it's still stuck. She body slams it but to no avail.

"Every single one," Lucifer says, yanking Dean off the ground and onto his feet.

"No, no, no, no," Gracilynn finds herself muttering, seeing her uncle beating her dad to death.

"We're gonna take our time," Lucifer says. He punches Dean numerous more times. He nods towards Gracilynn. "And then, we'll move to that pretty little thing in there."

Gracilynn is able to catch a glimpse of her dad's face, swollen and bleeding. Dean reaches out and grabs Sam's jacket and Gracilynn feels the tears begin to fall.

"Sam, it's okay. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you," Dean says. Lucifer punches him a couple more times. "I'm not gonna leave you."

"Come on Uncle Sammy," Gracilynn pleads through sobs, knowing Lucifer is the only thing holding her dad up. She watches as Lucifer raises his hand to punch her dad again. She watches as he freezes for a moment, his eyes looking in the back window then shifting to the opposite door, noticing the little green army man in the ashtray. Gracilynn climbs into the back of the Impala and moves up to the window, seeing Sam just stare. Suddenly, his gaze shifts to her and she notices his fist unclenches. She sees the change in his eyes, no longer cold and uncaring, but warm and soft. Sam lets go of Dean, who falls to the ground against the Impala.

"It's okay, Dean. It's gonna be okay. I've got him," Sam says, assuring his brother. Sam glances once more at Gracilynn and takes out the horseman's rings from his pocket and tosses on the ground. Gracilynn hears him chant something and then feels the ground rumble. She finds herself plastered against the door, watching as the ground caves in around the rings and air begins being sucked into the hole. Sam and Dean look at each other, conveying everything in this one simple look. Sam takes a deep breath.

"Sam! It's not gonna end this way! Step back!" Michael yells.

"You're gonna have to make me!" Sam challenges, looking at him.

"I have to fight my brother, Sam! Here and now! It's my destiny!" Michael argues.

Sam looks at Dean before closing his eyes and spreading his arms wide. Michael lunges forward and grabs Sam's jacket, intent on keeping him from jumping into the pit. Sam grabs his arm and pulls him with him, the two of them falling into the hole. Gracilynn hears a sob and realizes it's her. She watches as the hole closes up with a blinding flash of light. She sees the Horseman's rings burning bright on the ground. She feels her body sag and she all but falls back against the seat behind her, the tears still running freely down her face.

So, I have to say that these last few update that have been really short I will admit that I cried writing them. This whole episode was really emotional for me and writing them and really getting into the characters had my emotions going crazy. Anyways, please review!


	48. Endings Are Hard

Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

"Endings are hard. Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There's always gonna be holes. And since it's the ending, it's all supposed to add up to something. I'm telling you, they're a raging pain in the ass."

"Cas, you're alive?" Gracilynn hears her dad say. She finally diverts her attention from the hole a shifts it a few feet to where her dad is kneeling in the grass. Cas is standing next to him.

"I'm better than that," Cas says, touching Dean's forehead. Gracilynn sees her dad's injuries are healed and her Dad stand up.

"Cas, are you God?" Dean asks, looking at Cas. Gracilynn forces herself to open the car door and climb out, watching the men before her.

"That's a nice compliment. But no. Although, I do believe he brought me back. New and improved," Cas answers. He walks over to Bobby and touches him on the forehead. Gracilynn watches as Bobby's eyes open and he begins to stir. Cas turns to her, studying her.

"Are you okay?" he asks. Gracilynn nods her head, feeling her dad's gaze on her. She looks over at him. Dean looks down at the Horseman's rings in his hand. Gracilynn feels her eyes stray to the rings, staring at them herself.

Dean is driving down the road and it's late at night. Gracilynn's head is resting on his lap, his coat draped over her. She had finally fell asleep, cried herself actually, although she tried her hardest to hide it. Dean looks over at Cas, who seems to find Gracilynn's feet in her lap intriguing.

"What are you gonna do now?" Dean asks him.

"Return to Heaven, I suppose," Cas answers.

"Heaven?" Dean asks, confused, his hand moving to rest on Gracilynn's shoulder.

"With Michael in the Cage, I'm sure it's total anarchy up there," Cas explains, looking up at him from Gracilynn's feet.

"So, what, you're the new sheriff in town?" Dean questions.

"I like that. Yeah. I suppose I am," Cas says thoughtfully.

"Wow. God gives you a brand-new, shiny set of wings, and suddenly you're his bitch again," Dean says scornfully.

"I don't know what God wants. I don't know if he'll even return. It just... seems like the right thing to do," Cas replies calmly.

"Well, if you do see him, you tell him I'm coming for him next," Dean threatens.

"You're angry," Cas says.

"That's an understatement," Dean replies.

"He helped. Maybe even more than we realize," Cas states.

"That's easy for you to say. He brought you back. But what about Sam? What about me, huh? Where's my grand prize? All I got is my brother in a hole!" Dean says, raising his voice. He feels Gracilynn stir on his lap. Cas looks down, seeing Dean's hand shift to stroking Gracilynn's hair absent-mindedly.

"You got what you asked for, Dean. No paradise. No hell. Just more of the same. I mean it, Dean. What would you rather have? Peace or freedom?" Cas asks. Dean thinks for a second. He looks over to say something but Cas is gone.

"Well, you really suck at goodbyes, you know that?" Dean says spitefully.

Okay, so there's only one chapter left until this story is done. So, please review! Oh, and I've already started writing the next story so if you have any input on flashback that you would like to see and you haven't told me now's the time to do it. Thanks!


	49. They Chose Family

Okay, everyone, here is the very last chapter of Dust in the Wind. Hope ya'll love it!

"This is the last Dean and Bobby will see of each other for a very long time. And, for the record, at this point next week, Bobby will be hunting a Rugaru outside of Dayton. But not Dean. Dean didn't want Cas to save him. Every part of him, every fiber he's got, wants to die, or find a way to bring Sam back. But he isn't gonna do either. Because he made a promise."

Gracilynn, Dean and Bobby are standing in the junkyard. Not really saying a whole lot. Gracilynn's arms are cross and she is probably standing too close to her dad, but neither of them say anything.

"Don't be afraid to call if you need anything," Bobby says, knowing he won't. Knowing this will probably be the last time he sees either one of them for a long time. Dean nods his head and Bobby pulls him in for a hug, Dean returning it. The two of them pull away and Bobby grabs Gracilynn, pulling her in for a hug as well. Gracilynn wraps her arms around him and squeezes tight.

"Watch out for him kid," Gracilynn hears Bobby whisper. She nods her head and the two of them pull away.

"Bye Uncle Bobby," Gracilynn whispers.

"Bye Bobby," Dean says, guiding Gracilynn towards the Impala. Bobby watches as they climb in and Dean starts the engine. He feels a prickle behind his eyes as he watches them drive off.

"Bye," Bobby whispers.

Gracilynn looks out her window at the house in front of her. She hears her dad open the door and climb out, shutting it behind him. She feels a rush of cold air and she looks up to see her dad holding the door open for her. She climbs out and Dean shuts the door.

"Wait here for a minute," Dean says, resting a hand on her head and kissing the top of it. Gracilynn watches as Dean walks up to the door and knocks on it. She sees a woman about her dad's age, with long brown hair open the door. She sees them talking but can't make out what they're saying. Dean looks back at her and she sees Lisa look in her direction as well. Lisa rests a hand on Dean's arm, drawing his attention to her, and nods her head slightly. Dean looks back at her and jerks is head towards the door. Gracilynn takes a deep breath and makes her way up to the door, coming to a stop next to her dad.

"Hey," Lisa says sympathetically.

"Hey," Gracilynn says quietly.

"You must be Gracilynn," Lisa says, "I'm Lisa."

Gracilynn tries for a smile but it fails dramatically short. Lisa looks over at Dean, meeting his gaze. She nods her head and steps to the side allowing the two of them to come in.

Dean and Gracilynn are sitting at Lisa's table with Ben. Lisa comes over and puts a dish on the table before taking a seat. She looks over at Dean.

"You okay?" she asks. Dean looks over at Gracilynn.

"Yeah, I'm good," he says. He reaches over and takes a drink of whiskey. Gracilynn looks up from her plate, grabbing her own drink. Her attention is caught by the streetlamp outside. She sees someone standing outside underneath it and she tries to get a closer look. Her eyes grow big and she drops her cup, spilling it a little before catching it.

"Um…sorry," Gracilynn says, trying to quickly clean up the mess while still trying to look outside. Lisa grabs a washcloth and starts cleaning up the mess.

"Don't worry about. It was an accident," Lisa says. She finishes cleaning the mess and throws the washcloth in the sink. Gracilynn sits back down and Dean looks at her.

"You all right?" he asks. Gracilynn turns her attention back to the streetlamp outside but she doesn't see anything. _Awesome. Now I'm seeing him everywhere. As if dealing with the memory isn't hard enough_. She feels a light pressure on her arm and she looks up, seeing her dad watching her. _Oh, yeah. He asked me a question_.

"Uh…yeah. I'm fine," Gracilynn says, giving him a smile. Dean gives her a slight squeeze and turns his attention back to his plate of food. Gracilynn glances back outside once more and, still not seeing anything, goes back to her dinner.

"So, what's it all add up to? It's hard to say. But me, I'd say this was a test... for Sam and Dean. And I think they did all right. Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. And, well... isn't that kinda the whole point?"

"No doubt - endings are hard. But then again... nothing ever really ends, does it?"

Please review! This chapter was definitely bittersweet. It was cool to see the end of it but definitely sad to see the end. I think I even cried a little posting this I want to thank everyone who ollowed this story and me along with those of you who reviewed. Thanks for your support; you guys keep me writing this story. See ya guys real soon!


	50. Author's Note: New Story

Hey everyone! I was asked to post an update to Dust in the Wind when I posted my new story. The new story is called Over the Hills and Far Away. Hope ya'll enjoy it as much as the last three!


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